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Mealworms possibly dropped on tables at Chicago hotel hosting DNC delegates breakfast

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling watches a march to the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) (Alex Brandon, Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

CHICAGO ā€“ Mealworms may have sickened at least one person at a Chicago hotel event earlier this week during the Democratic National Convention, the cityā€™s police superintendent said Thursday.

While the investigation by Chicago police and the FBI continues, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said clues point toward people putting mealworms on tables.

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ā€œIā€™m not sure that those were maggots,ā€ Snelling said Thursday when asked about the possibility of insects dropped on various tables. ā€œThere was sawdust, so they were probably mealworms. They look the same. But thatā€™s still under investigation.ā€

Mealworms are common insects that have wormlike, yellow-to-brown colored bodies. They are the larval form of the mealworm beetle. Maggots are similar in appearance, but soft-bodied with white to transparent color. They are the larval stage of flies.

Multiple suspects, all women, entered the Fairmont Chicago, which was hosting a breakfast for delegates at the DNC and began placing ā€œunknown objectsā€ onto tables with food before leaving the area at around 6:45 a.m. Wednesday, police said.

One person who ingested the food was treated by medical personnel and released at the scene, according to Chicago police.

The Fairmont Hotel confirmed the ā€œdisruption,ā€ adding in a statement that staff ā€œacted immediately to clean and sanitize the area, ensuring that the event could continue without further incident.ā€

Earlier this year, activists released hundreds of mealworms, maggots and crickets at the Washington, D.C., hotel of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to protest the war in Gaza.


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