There is an outbreak of intestinal illnesses linked to salads from McDonald’s, according to CBS News. Public health officials are investigating an outbreak of intestinal illnesses in Illinois and Iowa that has affected dozens of consumers who ate salads from McDonald’s.
Illinois has reported 90 such cases since mid-May. The parasite in question that had been linked to the salads is the cyclospora parasite, it had more than 20 of those cases, and it involved patients who ate salads at McDonald’s restaurants. Iowa has recorded 15 such cases since late June.
Cyclospora can cause stomach cramps, nausea and flu-like symptoms a week or more after the consumption of food or liquid contaminated with this parasite. So far it isn’t known to lead to anything more serious.
While finding a link to salads sold at McDonald’s in about a quarter of the Illinois cases, the state’s health department is also looking into other possible sources for the contamination, Shah added.
McDonald’s is working with officials in the two states and has temporarily stopped selling salads at the restaurants that were identified as possible sites for the contamination, according to a company spokesperson, that also added that McDonald’s will also be switching lettuce suppliers. Hopefully, this outbreak won’t lead to any deaths and that it won’t spread to any other states.