Taylor Farms Lettuce Sold At Taco Bell Tied To Cyclospora Outbreak

Shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms to some Taco Bell locations has been linked to a regional cyclosporiasis outbreak. Nationally, nearly 7,000 cyclospora cases have been confirmed or are under investigation since May 1.

Shredded iceberg lettuce supplied to some Taco Bell locations by Taylor Farms has been tied to a multi-state outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic intestinal illness now spreading rapidly across the country. The scope of the outbreak has grown quickly. CDC data published this week shows nearly 7,000 cases of cyclosporiasis confirmed or under investigation since May 1, with confirmed cases running more than six times higher than they were at this point last year. At least 141 people have been hospitalised so far.

While the national numbers are striking, the outbreak connected specifically to the Taco Bell lettuce is considered regional, centered mainly in the Midwest, as per a report from CNN News. The CDC has linked at least 400 cases to this particular outbreak across four states: Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky. According to the source, those are also the states where the affected Taco Bell locations are found, though the contaminated produce may have reached other areas as well.

Michigan’s health department has been careful about how it frames the connection. Officials said they cannot say with certainty that every single illness traces back to the same source of exposure. Still, they noted that the sharp, concentrated rise in cases strongly points to the vast majority of illnesses being part of the same outbreak. If confirmed, that would make this the largest cyclospora outbreak ever recorded in the United States.