Summary:
-
Health officials investigate Taco Bell’s possible role in cyclosporiasis outbreak, symptoms include watery diarrhea and cramps. Antibiotics help treat it.
-
Taco Bell temporarily removes ingredients amid outbreak investigation, health authorities hunt for supplier, suspect lettuce. Cases reported in 34 states.
-
Cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to Cyclospora parasite, washing produce may help but heating to 158°F is most effective prevention.
Federal and state health officials are looking into whether Taco Bell restaurants played a role in one of the largest cyclosporiasis outbreaks in US history, according to a Washington Post report citing two people familiar with the investigation.
The illness comes from Cyclospora cayetanensis, a microscopic parasite that spreads through produce or water contaminated with fecal matter. It’s rarely life-threatening, but the CDC describes symptoms that include watery diarrhea and explosive bowel movements, plus cramps, bloating, nausea and fatigue. Symptoms can last weeks. Antibiotics treat it.
Signs went up at Detroit-area Taco Bell locations telling customers the restaurants couldn’t serve lettuce, cilantro onion, pico de gallo or guacamole because of a “national recall.” Taco Bell told Bloomberg it had “temporarily and voluntarily” removed unspecified ingredients at select restaurants while officials review the outbreak, and said it would follow guidance from public health authorities. But the FDA hasn’t announced any recall involving Taco Bell, and there’s no public notice on its site connecting the chain to the outbreak. So the sign’s wording and the federal record don’t currently match.
Health authorities have not publicly identified Taco Bell as linked to the outbreak. The investigation is broader than one chain. Some people who got sick told investigators they’d eaten at Taco Bell. Others who got sick hadn’t. That gap is the reason officials are still hunting for a supplier rather than pointing at a restaurant.
Lettuce is the leading suspect. Michigan’s health department said Monday that current results point to lettuce or salad greens as a potential source, while noting other food items can’t be ruled out and no specific type of produce, grower or supplier has been identified. Michigan’s chief medical executive, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, said lettuce is a common product that regularly comes up during the investigation.
The scale is significant. Cases have been reported in 34 states, with Michigan hardest hit at more than 3,300 total cases and 44 hospitalizations as of Tuesday. The CDC has identified a link among four Midwestern states, the first public sign of a common source across multiple outbreaks that have sickened more than 4,000 people. This is the largest outbreak of its kind in Michigan’s history, according to the Associated Press.
ADVERTISEMENT
Cyclosporiasis shows up year-round but peaks between May 1 and August 31. Past outbreaks have been traced to raspberries, basil, cilantro and salad mixes.
If you want to protect yourself, washing helps but doesn’t solve it. Health departments recommend running fresh produce under clean running water and scrubbing firm items with a brush. Washing won’t kill the parasite, though it may remove it. Heating produce to at least 158°F is the most effective way to kill it.
