The McDonald's salad cyclospora outbreak has now reached 395 victims nationwide, according to updated figures on Thursday from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Infections have been confirmed in a dozen states.
The FDA concluded on July 26 that the presence of cyclospora was found in a sample analysis of an unused package of Fresh Express salad mix containing romaine lettuce and carrots, which had been distributed to McDonald's.
Since then, the FDA along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other state and local agencies have been investigating the multi-state outbreak of cyclosporiasis illnesses.
The FDA said people became sick from eating the salads in Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana, North Dakota, Kentucky, West Virginia and Missouri.
Fresh Express started a recall of products last month containing romaine similar to what was found in the sample that tested for cyclospora, the FDA said.
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert on beef, pork and poultry salad and wrap products potentially contaminated with cyclospora that were distributed by Caito Foods LLC, of Indianapolis.
That company received notification from Fresh Express, it's supplier, that the chopped romaine in the products was being recalled. Salads and wraps found in Kroger, Trader Joe's and Walgreens were part of that recall and health alert.
"Cyclospora infection is an illness cause by the intestinal parasite, Cyclospora cayetanensis," the USDA said. "The incubation period for cyclospora ranges from two to 14 days, which would include the dates of July 25 through Aug. 6, 2018. Illnesses 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 cyclosporainfections this could take up to six weeks."
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