Tag Archives: Feces

Iowa, Illinois investigating infections linked to McDonald’s salad

FILE PHOTO: The logo of a McDonald's Corp restaurant is seen in Los Angeles, California, U.S. October 24, 2017. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

(Reuters) – The Iowa and Illinois health departments said on Thursday that they were investigating cyclospora infections linked to salads at McDonald Corp’s restaurants.

McDonald’s shares fell 1.4 percent after-hours on Thursday.

The Illinois Department of Public Health said it had seen about 90 cases, and the Iowa Department of Public Health said it had recorded 15 cases.

In about one-fourth of the Illinois cases people reported eating salads from McDonald’s in the days before they became ill.

McDonald’s, the world’s largest restaurant chain, said in a statement that it had been in contact with public health authorities in both states.

It said that it had voluntarily stopped selling salads at the approximately 3,000 affected U.S. restaurants until it could switch to another lettuce blend supplier.

“We are closely monitoring this situation and cooperating with state and federal public health authorities as they further investigate,” the company said.

The parasite, cyclospora cayetanensis, infects the small intestine, typically causing watery diarrhea and frequent, sometimes explosive bowel movements. It is spread by ingesting food or water contaminated with feces and not directly from one person to another.

Several outbreaks have occurred in the United States in the past several years, especially during the summer months, that had been linked to imported fresh produce including raspberries, basil, snow peas, and lettuce.

(Reporting by Nivedita Balu in Bengaluru and Alana Wise in New York; Editing by Maju Samuel)

Venezuelans prepare fecal cocktails to throw at security forces

A woman holds a plastic pot filled with feces, called "Poopootovs", which is a play on Molotov cocktails, before they are thrown at security forces during protests, in addition to the usual rocks and petrol bombs, in Caracas, Venezuela May 9, 2017. The text reads, "For our children". REUTERS/Christian Veron

By Girish Gupta and Christian Veron

CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s opposition protests on Wednesday may be the messiest in a six-week wave of unrest as demonstrators prepare to throw feces at security forces, adding to the customary rocks, petrol bombs and tear gas.

The new tactic has been dubbed the “Poopootov” in a play on the Molotov cocktails often seen at streets protests in Venezuela.

“They have gas; we have excrement,” reads an image floating around social media to advertise Wednesday’s “Shit March.”

With inflation in the high triple-digits, shortages of the most basic medicines, and millions suffering food scarcity, the country is undergoing a major crisis.

For weeks, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets, angry at the government of unpopular President Nicolas Maduro.

Some opposition sympathizers are appalled at the plans to use feces, both animal and human, calling it an unsanitary and inappropriate tactic even in the face of a government they despise.

Many note that throwing feces could increase cases of infectious diseases which are soaring due to the lack of medicine as well as basic cleaning materials such as soaps and disinfectant.

“POOPOOTOV COCKTAIL”

“The kids go out with just stones. That’s their weapon. Now they have another weapon: excrement,” said a 51-year-old dentist preparing containers of feces in her home for protesters to launch at authorities.

“One of my patients is collecting excrement from her child,” said the dentist, who asked not to be identified.

Messages have been going viral on Venezuelan WhatsApp groups giving step-by-step instructions and advice on putting together the Poopootov cocktails.

Some insist on avoiding glass containers to ensure that the projectiles only humiliate troops rather than injure them.

“The use of excrement is not only an act of desperation, it’s madness,” said pro-government TV personality Mario Silva on Twitter.

With opposition leaders looking to bring frontline government forces onside, given they too suffer from the country’s crisis, the strategy may backfire.

Many are thought to sympathize with protesters’ complaints about the economic situation but do not speak out for fear of retaliation by authorities.

While the opposition coalition has remained quiet on the strategy, some lawmakers have given it tacit acceptance.

“They use their weapons against us, so people are using what they have,” said lawmaker Rafael Guzman, who on Monday was seen in the thick of tear gas throwing a canister back at security forces.

(Reporting by Girish Gupta and Christian Veron; Additional reporting by Deisy Buitrago; Editing by Andrew Hay and Michael Perry)