The first lawsuit involving the McDonald's salad Cyclospora outbreak was filed Aug. 6 against Fresh Express, the produce supplier for McDonald's, on behalf of an Iowa woman sickened in the outbreak, according to Food Poisoning Journal.
Kellie McCall's symptoms of severe diarrhea, fevers and other flu like symptoms started June 26 after buying and eating a McDonald's salad on or around June 18, according to the lawsuit. Her symptoms became so severe she was forced to seek emergency medical attention at Onawa, Iowa-based Burgess Hospital. A stool sample was taken and tested positive for Cyclospora.
Ms. McCall claims she still suffers from constant fatigue and stomach cramps, causing her to miss a significant amount of work.
"Although not all Cyclospora outbreaks have been linked to imported fresh fruit and vegetables, most have been," said William Marler, a managing partner at Marler Clark, one of the firms representing Ms. McCall. "Importers and manufacturers of imported produce must take precautions against introducing parasites like Cyclospora into the stream of commerce."
The CDC announced an investigation into the multistate outbreak July 13. So far, there are 395 confirmed cases across 15 states, along with 16 hospitalizations.
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