Taco Bell restaurants in five states are linked to a cyclosporiasis outbreak caused by shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico.
More than 1,600 people have been sickened by a cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. The CDC and FDA identified a single supplier from Mexico as the source of the contamination. While the specific supplier was not publicly named by the agencies, Taylor Farms was identified as the source. Michigan has been the hardest-hit state, reporting more than 4,300 cases. The parasite causes symptoms such as watery diarrhea, fatigue, and cramping, which typically appear about a week after exposure. Taco Bell has pulled the implicated lettuce from all national locations and plans to provide a replacement within 24 hours for the affected states. The outbreak is part of a broader national surge where nearly 7,000 people may have been affected across more than 30 states. The CDC urged consumers to avoid ordering shredded iceberg lettuce at Taco Bell locations in the five primary states until further notice.