Taco Bell removes lettuce after cyclosporiasis outbreak

A nationwide outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness caused by a microscopic parasite, has sickened more than 1,600 people across the United States since May, with public health investigations increasingly pointing to contaminated lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in several Midwestern states. Federal officials have identified shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms as a likely source of the outbreak.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration have advised consumers to avoid shredded lettuce from Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. The investigation traced the contaminated produce to Taylor Farms, a major produce supplier. In response, Taylor Farms expanded a recall of implicated iceberg lettuce products, and Taco Bell removed the lettuce from its U.S. restaurants. The company issued a public statement confirming the removal and urging customers to return.

Cyclosporiasis causes prolonged, watery, and sometimes severe diarrhea, along with stomach cramps, nausea, and fatigue. The illness is treatable with antibiotics, and health officials advise anyone with severe or...