Nearly 400 now sickened in suspected McDonald's salad outbreak

Aug. 4 (UPI) -- An update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there have now been 395 lab-confirmed cases of Cyclospora infection in people who ate McDonald's salads.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration shared the update Thursday and the CDC said cases were reported in South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Florida, Virginia and Connecticut.

Of those, 202 cases were clustered in Illinois. So far, 16 people have been hospitalized and no one has died.

An infection of the Cyclospora cayetanensis parasite can cause cyclosporiasis, an ailment that can include diarrhea, stomach cramps, bloating, nausea, fatigue and flu-like symptoms. If untreated, infected individuals may need more than a month to recover.

The FDA cautioned that people who ate salad at a McDonald's restaurant after May 20 in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin may be at risk of Cyclospora exposure.