The McDonald’s Fresh Express cyclospora outbreak linked to their salads has now sickened 476 people, according to the FDA. These ill persons live in 15 states. Twenty-one people have been hospitalized.
The case count by state is: Connecticut (1), Florida (1), Iowa (98), Illinois (246), Indiana (8), Kentucky (8), Michigan (2), Minnesota (1), Missouri (52), Nebraska (5), Ohio (15), South Dakota (18), Tennessee (1), Virginia (1), and Wisconsin (10). The patients in Connecticut, Tennessee, Virginia, and Florida purchased McDonald’s salads while traveling in another state.
In the investigation, FDA officials analyzed an unused package of romaine lettuce and carrot mix produced by Fresh Express in Streamwood, Illinois. They found cyclospora in the product. Fresh Express told the FDA that while the carrots in the mix went only to McDonald’s restaurants, romaine lettuce was sent to other distributors. The romaine lettuce was sold in pre-made salads and wraps distributors by Caito Foods; those products were recalled on July 27, 2018.
You can contact attorney Fred Pritzker at 1-888-377-8900 or 612-338-0202.
Food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker said, “Our clients who have filed lawsuits are ill through no fault of their own. These types of outbreaks are unfortunately now common every summer in this country, but this McDonald’s Fresh Express cyclospora outbreak is unusual because it is so large and the source was found quickly.”
This outbreak has been going on for a long time. The first illness was reported in May 2018 and the number spiked in late June 2018. The number of cases is declining steadily, according to the epi curve provided by the CDC.
McDonald’s stopped selling their salads in affected states on July 13, 2018, but cases were still diagnosed in late July. That may be because it can take up to a week before someone gets sick after they ingest this microscopic parasite. Or someone could be sick and not know why until they see a news report about the outbreak.
The symptoms of cyclosporiasis include explosive, frequent, and watery diarrhea, weight loss, loss of appetite, fatigue, bloating, increased gas, cramps, and fatigue. Without medical treatment, this illness can recur and last for months. If you ate a McDonald’s salad and have been sick with these symptoms, see your doctor.
