A bagged salad Cyclospora outbreak has sickened 509 people in eight states including 151 people in Illinois. A recall has been issued for the salads, containing iceberg lettuce, red cabbage and carrots, that were sold under the Fresh Express brand name and store brand names at Jewel-Osco, ALDI, Walmart, Hy-Vee and Giant Eagle stores.
All of the recalled salads were made by Fresh Express at its plant in Streamwood, IL, the same location that produced salads linked to a 2018 Cyclospora outbreak at McDonald’s restaurants. That outbreak sickened 511 people in 16 states, 274 of those illnesses were in Illinois.
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began an investigation of the Fresh Express Streamwood plant last month,” said Food Safety Attorney Fred Pritzker, whose law firm has represented clients in every major Cyclospora outbreak in the U.S. including both Fresh Express outbreaks. “They will be collecting environmental swabs from various locations throughout the facility to see if they can determine points of contamination.”
Pritzker Hageman Cyclospora Lawyers are representing people sickened in this outbreak, contact us today for a free consultation.
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Cyclospora is a parasite. People get sick when they eat food contaminated with microscopic amounts of human feces from a person with a Cyclospora infection. This can happen if an infected food handler does not adequately wash hands after using the restroom or if water contaminated with human waste is used to irrigate or wash produce.
Symptoms of a Cyclospora infection can last for months if untreated. They include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, loss of appetite, weight loss, bloating, nausea and fatigue.
Illinois is one of eight states to report illnesses associated with this outbreak. In addition to the 151 cases reported in Illinois, the cases reported from each state are: Iowa (160), Kansas (5), Minnesota (63), Missouri (46) Nebraska (48), North Dakota (6), and Wisconsin (30). Thirty-three people have been hospitalized.
If you developed a Cyclospora infection after eating salad associated with this outbreak, contact a healthcare provider and mention your exposure. Be sure to ask for a test to confirm your illness. A stool sample test for Cyclospora is separate from the stool sample test for other foodborne pathogens. If your test is positive, report it to your state or local health department.
For a free consultation with Pritzker Hageman’s experienced Cyclospora lawyers, please call 1-888-377-8900, send a text 612-261-0856, or complete the form below. There is no obligation and we don’t get paid unless we win.