476 people in the US contract intestinal infection from McDonald's salads

The US Food and Drug Administration reported that the number of people infected with intestinal infections after eating salads at McDonald's has increased to 476.

Фото: Depositphotos

Laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclospora infection have been reported in 15 states among people ages 14 to 91, with 21 people currently hospitalized. Two thirds of the sick are women, reports NBC News.

The FDA is continuing its investigation and is currently “reviewing information from suppliers and distributors of romaine lettuce and carrots,” agency officials said in the latest statement.

Most likely, people contracted cyclospores after eating a salad mix from Fresh Express, which contained two dangerous ingredients. Health officials analyzed the unused packaging of such a salad, which was sent to McDonald's, and found cyclospor in this sample.

On July 13, the fast food chain voluntarily stopped selling lettuce at “affected restaurants”—about 3 locations nationwide, mostly located in the Midwest. Since then, according to representatives of the chain, McDonald's has turned to a new salad supplier.

Photo: Twitter

None of the products have been withdrawn. Fresh Express told the FDA that romaine lettuce from the same batch as the positive sample was not sold in retail stores and was already over. Carrots from this mixture were also sent exclusively to McDonald's.

The same supplier was mentioned in the July FDA warning, which dealt with chopped romaine lettuce, used in semi-finished salads and rolls, which were sold in Trader Joe's, Kroger and Walgreens stores.

The first cases of infection manifested themselves in May, but people who got sick after 5 July may be contaminated with the same lettuce, since it can take about six weeks from the moment of contact with cyclosporum, before the disease.

Cyclospora cayetanensis is a tiny parasite that can cause intestinal illness when it contaminates food or water. Symptoms of cyclosporiasis include diarrhea “with frequent, sometimes explosive, bowel movements,” the FDA notes. Infected people may experience loss of appetite and weight, abdominal cramps, vomiting and fever. Some victims may have no symptoms at all.

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