CDC and FDA Identify Taco Bell Lettuce as Source of Multistate Cyclospora Outbreak

Federal health officials have traced a multistate outbreak of the diarrhoea-causing parasite cyclospora to shredded iceberg lettuce supplied to Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the link on Thursday and advised consumers to avoid the lettuce from the chain in those states.

An investigation by the Food and Drug Administration identified a single Mexican supplier of the lettuce, though the agency’s public warnings did not name the company. > "FDA is working with the supplier of iceberg lettuce to determine if potentially contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce remains on the market," the CDC said, adding that Taco Bell has agreed to stop using any lettuce from the identified supplier.

Taco Bell issued a statement earlier in the week saying it had "voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precautionary measure" and would continue to monitor the situation in line with public-health guidance.

Cyclospora, a microscopic parasite that spreads through fecal contamination of food and water, typically causes watery diarrhoea and is treated with antibiotics. While the illness is rarely life-threatening, the current outbreak has contributed to a rise in reported cases that exceeds the previous U.S. record of about 4,700 infections set in 2019. Experts attribute the increase to improved detection methods and factors such as climate-related changes in agricultural conditions.