Mealworms may have sickened at least one person at a Chicago hotel event earlier this week during the Democratic National Convention, the city’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.
“I’m not sure that those were maggots,” Snelling said Thursday when asked about the possibility of insects dropped on various tables. “There was sawdust, so they were probably mealworms. They look the same. But that’s still under investigation.”
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.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
According to DNC officials, “multiple female offenders” entered the building and began placing “unknown objects” onto tables containing food. They then left the area.
Multiple delegates told NBC Chicago the “objects” were believed to be maggots, and Chicago police and the FBI are coordinating on a response to the incident, according to the DNC.
One person who ingested the food was treated by medical personnel and released at the scene, according to Chicago police.
According to NBC Chicago’s Randy Gyllenhaal, pro-Palestinian activists performed a similar maggot dump at the hotel of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, D.C.
The Fairmont Hotel issued a statement confirming that individuals “caused a disruption” during a DNC-related breakfast on Wednesday morning.
“The safety, security, and well-being of our guests and staff are our top priorities,” the statement read. “Our team acted immediately to clean and sanitize the area, ensuring that the event could continue without further incident. We maintain the highest standards of food safety and cleanliness throughout our property and have strict protocols in place to handle any disruptions.”
Protests have been going on throughout the week, with individuals clashing with Chicago police near the Israeli consulate on Tuesday. More than four-dozen arrests were reported during that incident, with at least one person facing felony charges after officers were injured.
