Nearly 300 people in more than a dozen states, including Michigan, have been infected by an outbreak of cyclosporiasis linked to McDonald's salads, the Centers for Disease Control said.
According to the CDC, there have been reports of 286 people in 15 states ill with cyclosporiasis. There have been 11 hospitalizations and no deaths.
The outbreak is linked to salads from McDonald's in Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
Cases in Michigan, Connecticut, Tennessee and Virginia purchased salads while traveling in Illinois, while the Florida case was from a salad purchased in Kentucky.
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Right now, the FDA has not identified which ingredient in the salad is causing the outbreak, but they are investigating multiple components. They believe the outbreak is not related to the outbreak linked to the Del Monte vegetable trays.
McDonald's has decided to stop selling salads at impacted restaurants in those states until they switch to another supplier.
"Cyclospora cayetanensis is a microscopic parasite of humans. This parasite, when it contaminates food or water and is then ingested, can cause an intestinal illness called cyclosporiasis," the CDC said. "Most people infected with Cyclospora develop diarrhea, with frequent, sometimes explosive, bowel movements. Other common symptoms include loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps/pain, bloating, increased gas, nausea, and fatigue."
