US health officials have identified shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants as the source of the infections
The US health authorities have identified shredded iceberg lettuce served at the country’s largest Mexican-inspired fast-food chain as the source of an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic illness that causes severe, explosive diarrhea.
More than 1,600 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported nationwide since early May, with 94 people hospitalized. No deaths have been reported, although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned that the actual number of infections is likely much higher because many cases go undiagnosed.
The CDC on Friday identified the chain as Taco Bell and said a traceback investigation linked the contaminated produce to a single supplier in central Mexico. The CDC urged people not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.
The agency said the implicated supplier, Taylor Farms de Mexico, has voluntarily removed all iceberg lettuce from the US market. Officials are continuing to investigate whether the contaminated produce was distributed to other restaurants or retailers.
