Federal health and food safety authorities have found that cyclosporiasis cases across multiple states are linked to a single lettuce supplier used by Taco Bell.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 1,645 cases of the parasitic gastrointestinal illness across 34 states since May 1 and is investigating 5,100 others.
The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that the patients, 94 of whom were hospitalized, ate at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia, with 90% of people interviewed confirming they consumed iceberg lettuce. A subsequent FDA investigation traced the lettuce to a single supplier that sourced the produce from Mexico.
In addition to those five states, the CDC has confirmed cyclosporiasis cases in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
In response to the outbreak, the FDA said it’s increasing product screening at the U.S.-Mexico border and that Taco Bell has agreed to stop using lettuce from the supplier, which the agency did not name.
The CDC said that in the meantime, people should not eat any Taco Bell products containing lettuce at locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio or West Virginia.
Cyclospora, the parasite that causes the illness, is spread to food or water through contact with human waste, then infects people when they consume contaminated food or water. Symptoms begin within two days to two weeks of infection, and include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite and fatigue.
The FDA said the 1,645 confirmed cyclosporiasis patients nationwide got sick between May 13 and July 13.
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