Taco Bell Lettuce Linked to Parasite Outbreak in 5 States

Federal health officials have traced a stomach illness outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in five states. The lettuce came from a supplier in Mexico and was found at locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. The illness is caused by a tiny parasite called cyclospora, which can cause severe diarrhea. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, known as the CDC, warned people not to eat the shredded lettuce from Taco Bell in those states.

The Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, investigated and found that a single company supplied the lettuce. Officials did not name that company publicly. The FDA said it was working with the supplier to check if any possibly contaminated lettuce was still being sold in other states. Taco Bell said it would stop using lettuce from that supplier right away.

Earlier in the week, before the government made its announcement, Taco Bell said it had already started removing some ingredients from certain restaurants. The company called it a precautionary measure, meaning it acted carefully even before it knew for sure what was wrong. Taco Bell said it would keep watching the situation and follow advice from health officials.

Cyclospora is a very small, round parasite that you can only see with a microscope. It infects the intestines and causes watery diarrhea that can happen often and without much warning. The illness it causes is called cyclosporiasis. Most people can be treated with antibiotics, and it is rarely life-threatening.

The parasite spreads through feces, which is human or animal waste. In past outbreaks, people got sick after eating fruits or vegetables watered with feces-contaminated water. Outbreaks happen most often in late spring and summer, when warmer temperatures help the parasite survive. This is why health experts sometimes call it a heat-loving parasite.

Cyclospora infections are less common than other food illnesses like salmonella or E. coli. For many years, not many U.S. outbreaks were reported, but about ten years ago the number of cases started climbing. This year, infections in more than 30 states have already passed the record of about 4,700 cases set in 2019. Experts say climate change and better testing are both helping explain the rise in reported cases.