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Hollis Johnson/Business Insider
McDonald's salads are causing major problems.
- A woman is suing McDonald's salad supplier after becoming so severely ill she was "forced to wear Depends diapers," according to a complaint filed on Monday.
- Kellie McCall says she was struck by cyclosporiasis after eating a salad from an Iowa McDonald's restaurant in June.
- The parasitic illness linked to McDonald's salads has now sickened at least 395 people in 15 states.
- As of Monday, the salad supplier Fresh Express still says it does know what caused the outbreak.
McDonald's salad supplier is facing a lawsuit from a woman who says she became severely ill after eating a salad from the fast-food chain.
On Monday, Kellie McCall filed a complaint against Fresh Express, a company that supplies salad to brands including McDonald's, Trader Joe's, and Kroger.
According to the complaint, McCall says she became severely ill after eating a salad from an Onawa, Iowa, McDonald's in mid-June.
"Kellie became ill with diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever, and severe gas," the complaint states. "Her symptoms became so severe that she was forced to wear Depends diapers."
McCall required emergency medical attention and continues to suffer from stomach cramps and fatigue, according to the complaint. Testing at the hospital revealed the presence of the parasite cyclospora.
A spokesperson for McDonald's did not immediately return Business Insider's request for comment on McCall's suit.
McCall is just one of many who have been struck by cyclosporiasis after reportedly eating McDonald's salads made with the Fresh Express mix. 395 cases have been reported across 15 states, and 16 people have been hospitalized. In July, McDonald's removed salads from the 3,000 restaurants that may have been impacted by the outbreak, replacing them with produce from a different supplier.
Last week, the Department of Agriculture expanded the recall beyond McDonald's salads. Certain prepackaged wraps and salads that use lettuce from Fresh Express at brands including Walgreens, Trader Joe's, and Kroger were recalled due to concerns that they may have also been affected.
And, on Monday, Fresh Express issued another recall of multi-pound packs of salad. The product, packaged in clear plastic tubs, was not sold to shoppers, but instead to fast-food chains and other businesses that sell ready-made food.
Fresh Express still has not identified the source of the outbreaks.
"As of now, there is no clear understanding about the contamination pathway or a definitive source of the Cyclospora outbreaks," the company said in a statement on Monday.