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Taco Bell lettuce linked to cyclospora outbreak in US; over 4300 cases reported
Michigan has reported the largest number of cases overall, with more than 4,300 illnesses and 102 hospitalizations.
US regulators traced a parasite outbreak that’s sickened thousands in Michigan and nearby states to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants, identifying a single supplier as the apparent source.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a food safety alert over the diarrhea-causing cyclospora parasite, advising consumers not to eat the ingredient at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
Taco Bell said it has voluntarily removed lettuce from a supplier and will replace the ingredient within 24 hours at restaurants in affected states. The supplier’s lettuce is being removed indefinitely from its supply chain nationwide as a precaution, the company said in a statement.
Also Read: Taylor Farms: All about the Taco Bell lettuce supplier linked to US cyclosporiasis outbreak
The CDC linked 1,644 laboratory-confirmed illnesses in five states to Taco Bell restaurants and said the true number of infections is likely higher because many people recover without being tested and it can take up to six weeks to confirm whether a patient is part of a cyclospora outbreak.
The agency is investigating other cyclosporiasis illnesses that are unrelated to this outbreak. Michigan has reported the largest number of cases overall, with more than 4,300 illnesses and 102 hospitalizations.
The Food and Drug Administration’s traceback investigation identified a single supplier from Mexico that supplied the Taco Bell restaurants where infected people ate. FDA is working directly with the supplier to determine if contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce went to other places.
Taylor Farms is a potential source of the contamination, the Washington Post reported.
The CDC said not all Taco Bell locations in the outbreak zone received shredded lettuce from the same supplier.
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that causes an intestinal illness marked by prolonged watery diarrhea, loss of appetite and weight loss. Symptoms typically begin about a week after infection and, without treatment, can persist for weeks or longer. No deaths have been reported in the current outbreak.
Earlier this week, the Mexican-inspired chain owned by Yum! Brands Inc., said it would remove some ingredients at select restaurants “voluntarily and temporarily” as a precaution, without giving more specifics. Several independent restaurants also pulled lettuce and greens.
The outbreak has also hit the shares of the fast-casual salad chain Sweetgreen Inc., with the stock declining about 25% this week amid reports that lettuce was the culprit. The company has said that no ingredients in its supply chain have been identified in connection with investigations into cyclospora.
The burgeoning outbreak has been difficult for health authorities to track. The disease doesn’t spread from person to person, and it can take as long as two weeks between the time someone ingests tainted food or water and when symptoms appear. Health authorities in Michigan had earlier pointed to contaminated lettuce or salad greens as a potential source.
On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Trump administration is “closely monitoring” the outbreak and “committed to providing the CDC and FDA the resources that they need.”
