It’s Cyclospora cayetanensis.
A mouthful of a name for something that wreaks havoc on your gut. Over 1,600 people in five states are now linked to this outbreak, all pointing one finger: shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell.
Michigan is hurting the most, but Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia aren’t far behind. Since May 1 the count has hit 1,644. No one has died. Good news? 94 people did end up in hospitals. That’s bad.
Wait, it’s worse than that. The CDC says there are over 5,10 potential cases still being looked at. These haven’t been tied to the lettuce yet, but they are under investigation. Maybe it’s the lettuce. Maybe it’s something else entirely.
So, how do they know?
Every single person among the 1,644? They ate at Taco Bell before getting sick. Interviews tracked back to that crisp, shredded topping.
The FDA dug into the supply chain. They found a single source for the iceberg lettuce used in those locations. Reports are naming Taylor Farms, based in California. The lettuce came from Mexico.
“FDA is working directly with the identified provider to determine if potentially tainted product is still on the shelves.”
Samples are being collected. Tests are running.
Taco Bell has pulled the trigger on a change. They are stopping use of the lettuce from that specific supplier. Not every restaurant in the five states got this specific batch, though. The confusion is real.
If you’re in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan,Ohio or West Virginia, do not eat shredded iceberg lettuce at Taco Bell right now. Just don’t.
The numbers can be a little fuzzy too. State counts might include probable cases, while the feds wait for confirmation. Expect those numbers to shift as the investigation drags on. There could be more restaurants involved. Or more sources of contamination. Nobody knows for sure yet.
The parasite is nasty. Symptoms start anywhere from 2 days to two weeks after eating the contaminated food.
Watery diarrhea. Explosive, actually.
Plus cramps. Bloated belly. Fatigue that won’t quit. It can linger for a month if you don’t get help. The cure is an antibiotic that stops the thing from multiplying. It doesn’t kill the host directly, just keeps the colony down enough for your body to recover.
We know the supplier. We know the location.
Do we know when this is going to end?
