US health authorities are racing to determine what is behind a cyclospora outbreak spanning multiple states after almost 100 people were hospitalized.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised people in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations, as investigators believe the ingredient may be a key source of the parasite’s spread. On July 24, federal health officials said the outbreak had expanded to Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania as well, bringing the total to nine states.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) initially pointed to Taylor Farms as the likely origin of the outbreak. However, the agency later reversed that position, saying the result was a false positive and that the investigation has still not reached a final conclusion. The FDA said it remains focused on iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico and recalled by Taylor Farms de Mexico, while warning that additional implicated brands, restaurants, retailers or distribution channels could still be identified.
According to the CDC and FDA, the Taco Bell-linked outbreak has sickened at least 1,947 people across nine states, with 98 hospitalizations recorded and no deaths reported. The illnesses included in that outbreak are a subset of a broader nationwide rise in cyclospora infections. Following those figures, Frank Yiannas, who previously served as President Donald Trump’s top food safety official, said the response raises concerns and that officials must examine both how the outbreak unfolded and how similar incidents can be avoided going forward.
“This one deserves a lot of questions, and it is starting to approach a catastrophic level in terms of how mismanaged it’s been on multiple fronts,” Yiannas, who is the former FDA’s deputy commissioner for food policy and response, told POLITICO.
He also said there had been a ‘lack of strong federal leadership’ that has contributed to public confusion.
“My point is not to find fault, but to find facts on how we can further strengthen the system.
“It’s not being critical of any particular agency, but it is being critical of the system. In some respects, I think there’s been some dismantling of the system.”
Among those who became ill after eating at Taco Bell is Ella-Salone Jones.
She recently shared that the infection led to a hospital stay and left her facing $100,000 in medical costs.
Speaking from hospital, she told CBS News: “They won’t let me go home because I can’t hold anything.
“I have Stage 5 kidney disease, and if my kidneys dry up, I can pass.”
On July 16, Taco Bell released a statement saying it had ‘taken immediate action to voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states’.
“The affected ingredient from our supplier is being indefinitely removed from our supply chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24 hours in select states.
“While no official advisory has been issued, we believe public health is a shared responsibility among restaurants, their suppliers, and authorities, and we are proud to have consistently acted quickly and proactively to protect our guests.”
Federal officials say the outbreak is still under active investigation, and they have cautioned that the final scope may continue to change as more cases are reported and traced.