McOutbreak: CDC Investigating McDonald’s Salads
JULY 16, 2018
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, public health and regulatory officials in several states, and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration are investigating a multistate outbreak of Cyclospora infections.
As of July 13, a total of 61 laboratory-confirmed cases of Cyclospora infection were reported in people who consumed salads from McDonald’s restaurants in seven states: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Two people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.
CDC said at this time, there is no evidence to suggest that this cluster of illnesses is related to the ongoing Cyclospora outbreak linked to Del Monte fresh produce vegetable trays.
Illnesses started on or after May 1, and the median illness onset date is June 28. Illnesses that started after June 1 might not have been reported yet due to the time it takes between when a person becomes ill and when the illness is reported. For Cyclospora infections, this can take up to six weeks.
Epidemiologic evidence indicates that salads purchased from McDonald’s restaurants are one likely source of these infections. The investigation is ongoing and FDA is working to determine the source of the ingredients used in the salads served at McDonald’s. The investigation has not identified a single, common ingredient in the salads linked to illness.
State and local health departments are interviewing ill people to find out what foods they ate in the two weeks before they got sick. Many ill people reported eating salads from McDonald’s restaurants located in the Midwest. People reported eating a variety of McDonald’s salads.
McDonald’s is cooperating with the investigation and has voluntarily stopped selling salads in more than 3,000 locations in the following 14 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.