More than 1,644 confirmed cases have been reported in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia
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Taco Bell restaurants in five states have been linked to a multistate outbreak of cyclosporiasis tied to shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms, according to the CDC and FDA. Of those sickened, more than 1,644 reported eating at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia, and 94 have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
Through its traceback investigation, the FDA pinpointed one supplier of shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico as the source used by Taco Bell restaurants where ill customers had dined, the CDC said. The agency did not name the supplier publicly, but Taylor Farms was identified as the supplier, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources. Taylor Farms did not respond to requests for comment.
Taco Bell announced it has pulled the lettuce from the implicated supplier out of all its locations nationally, with plans to bring in a replacement within 24 hours for restaurants in the five states. "We believe public health is a shared responsibility among restaurants, their suppliers, and authorities," the company said in a statement.
The CDC issued an advisory urging consumers to avoid ordering shredded iceberg lettuce at any Taco Bell in the five states named in the outbreak. The agency is also working to determine whether the contaminated lettuce was distributed beyond those Taco Bell locations.
Michigan has been the hardest-hit state, with more than 4,300 cases reported as of Thursday, according to NBC News. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services found that 90% of the 190 interviewed cases who ate at Taco Bell reported consuming iceberg lettuce, the CDC said. The true number of cases in the outbreak is likely higher, the CDC noted, because some people recover without seeking medical care and are never tested for the parasite.
The Taco Bell outbreak is part of a broader national surge in cyclosporiasis cases. Nationwide, nearly 7,000 people may have been sickened, with more than 5,100 cases still under investigation, according to NBC News. The CDC said the cases linked to Taco Bell are a subset of infections reported across more than 30 states, and investigators have not yet identified a source for the remaining cases.
Cyclosporiasis results from infection with a microscopic parasite and cannot pass directly between people. Common symptoms include watery diarrhea, fatigue, loss of appetite, cramping, and bloating, the CDC said. Without treatment, symptoms can set in roughly a week after exposure and may persist for a month or more.
The company has a history of links to foodborne illness, among them a 2013 cyclosporiasis episode that was ultimately traced to a salad mix from its Mexico processing facility, and a 2024 E. coli outbreak associated with slivered onions, according to NBC News.
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