Outbreak in intestinal illnesses linked to McDonald’s salads

About 90 cases of an intestinal illness in Illinois have been tied to McDonald’s salads, health officials said Thursday.

Since mid-May, cases have been reported in counties across Illinois, the health department statement said.

“If you ate a salad from McDonald’s since mid-May and developed diarrhea and fatigue, contact a health care provider about testing and treatment,” Nirav D. Shah, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said.

McDonald’s is in the process of removing potentially contaminated salads from its restaurants, and re-supplying them.

Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by the Cyclospora parasite. People can get infected by consuming food or water contaminated with feces that contains the parasite — it does not spread from one person to another. If not treated with antibiotics, it could last between a few days to a month or longer.

There are some of the symptoms, which usually begin about a week after exposure:

• Frequent diarrhea (most common)
• Loss of appetite
• Cramping, bloating, increased gas
• Nausea
• Low-grade fever