Federal health officials are investigating shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants as the source of a multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis that has sickened more than 1,600 people, with Michigan accounting for more than half of reported cases.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, working with state and local health departments, said the outbreak spans Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
More than 1,600 sickened across five states
According to the FDA, 1,644 people with confirmed Cyclospora infections who reported eating at Taco Bell have been identified across the five-state outbreak.
Illnesses began between May 13 and July 13.
Officials said 94 people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services previously identified iceberg lettuce as a possible source of the outbreak but had not named a specific supplier.
Lettuce traced to single supplier from Mexico
The FDA said its traceback investigation identified a single supplier of iceberg lettuce from Mexico that supplied Taco Bell locations where people became ill.
Federal officials are working with that supplier to determine whether potentially contaminated shredded lettuce remains on the market.
As part of the investigation, the FDA and state partners have begun collecting product samples for testing and have increased border screening of products linked to the outbreak.
The FDA also said Taco Bell has agreed to stop using lettuce from the supplier identified through the agency’s traceback investigation.
Earlier reports, citing a person familiar with the investigation, identified the supplier as Taylor Farms. The FDA has not publicly identified the supplier by name.
Since the outbreak began, Taco Bell restaurants across Michigan have removed lettuce from menu items as a precaution.
As of Thursday, neither Taylor Farms nor Yum Brands, Taco Bell’s parent company, had publicly commented on the reported investigation.
What is Cyclospora?
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis. Symptoms include prolonged diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, loss of appetite, fatigue, and weight loss.
Investigation ongoing
Health officials emphasized the investigation remains ongoing, and additional suppliers, restaurants, retailers or distribution channels could be identified as investigators continue tracing the source of the contamination.
The FDA noted that outbreak case totals may differ from figures reported by individual states because federal agencies count only confirmed cases, while some states also report probable cases.
National surveillance data also include laboratory-confirmed Cyclospora infections unrelated to the Taco Bell outbreak.