Federal officials have connected 1,947 illnesses and at least 98 hospitalizations to lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants, while thousands of additional confirmed and suspected cyclospora cases remain under investigation nationwide.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A record-setting U.S. outbreak of the diarrhea-causing parasite cyclospora has expanded into four additional states as federal health officials continue tracing shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that outbreak-related cases have now been identified in Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. The investigation had previously included Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia, bringing the total to nine states.
At least 1,947 illnesses have been linked to lettuce served at Taco Bell locations, including 98 people who required hospitalization. No deaths have been reported.
Federal officials cautioned that the true number of infections is probably higher because many people who become ill are never tested or included in official case counts.
The CDC, Food and Drug Administration and state health departments have been interviewing patients about what they ate during the two weeks before symptoms began. Investigators are also tracing the lettuce supply chain to determine where contamination occurred and whether additional restaurants, brands, retailers or distributors may be involved.
FDA officials said earlier this week that their investigation remained focused on lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms. The company recalled iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico last week.
Mexican health authorities announced Thursday that laboratory testing did not detect cyclospora in lettuce or water samples collected from the Taylor Farms facility in Guanajuato.
Officials visited the plant from July 18 through July 20 and collected 10 samples of iceberg lettuce and four water samples for analysis. The negative findings do not end the broader investigation, which remains focused on determining how the produce associated with U.S. illnesses became contaminated.
Regulators are also examining a separate cyclospora outbreak involving 72 reported illnesses. The FDA had not identified the food products connected to that group of cases as of Thursday.
The number of cyclospora infections reported this year has reached a national record. Since May 1, the CDC has received more than 4,100 laboratory-confirmed cases and is investigating more than 7,400 additional probable infections across 41 states.
Officials said the continuing investigation could identify other “brands, restaurants, retailers, or distribution channels” connected to contaminated food.
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that can contaminate food exposed to human feces, often when fruits or vegetables are irrigated or washed with unsafe water. Once swallowed, the parasite infects the intestinal tract and can cause prolonged gastrointestinal illness.
The CDC describes a typical symptom as “frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements.” Other symptoms may include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach cramps, bloating, nausea and fatigue.
Because symptoms can persist or return without treatment, people experiencing prolonged diarrhea after eating potentially affected produce are advised to seek medical evaluation.
The expanding outbreak has now become the largest cyclospora event recorded in the United States, with the Taco Bell-related illnesses accounting for only part of the thousands of confirmed and suspected cases under federal review.
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