Lettuce served at Taco Bell has now been identified as at least once source of cyclosporiasis, the parasitic infection causing explosive diarrhea in the U.S. How many of the cases reported nationwide are linked to this source?
“I’m concerned that we will ultimately find a link between at least some of these cases in Western Pennsylvania, potentially, to some of the national outbreaks that have been defined,” said Dr. Jillian Irwin, medical director at Allegheny County Health Department, in an interview this week with KDKA Radio’s K Morning Show. “Right now, 11 cases is more than we would have expected. Obviously, it’s not the thousands that we're seeing in some other states, but I think... the good news is it’s pretty easy to prevent at this point.”
Irwin was referring to the cases reported so far in her county. On Thursday, the Allegheny County Health Department confirmed one person has been hospitalized with cyclosporiasis. Earlier this week, the health department announced 11 confirmed cases. No single food or exposure source has been identified yet locally in Allegheny County.
Last week, Audacy reported on Taco Bell’s announcement that it would stop selling certain items, including lettuce, cilantro, onion and pico de gallo, amid the cyclosporiasis outbreak. The Washington Post also said this week that federal health officials confirmed that shredded lettuce sold at Taco Bell restaurants was linked to the outbreak following findings first reported by the outlet.
In a Thursday update on the outbreak, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it was working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to investigate the shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in five states linked to more than 1,644 cyclospora infections that have resulted in 94 hospitalizations. It said that people should not eat iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
No recall has been issued, the CDC said. However, a traceback investigation by the FDA identified a single supplier of iceberg lettuce from Mexico used by the Taco Bell location. The fast food chain is working to stop using this lettuce and the FDA is working directly with the supplier to determine if contaminated lettuce went to other places.
While the CDC didn’t name the supplier, The Washington Post reported that two individuals familiar with the inquiry who asked to remain anonymous said investigators have identified Taylor Farms as the supplier of the shredded iceberg lettuce. Taylor Farms is a California-based company.
“CDC is also investigating other outbreaks and illnesses of cyclosporiasis nationally that are unrelated to this outbreak,” according to the centers.
Cases of cyclosporiasis typically spike from the start of May through the end of August. This year, the CDC said multiple jurisdictions have reported an increase of cases compared to the same period in last year.
Michigan is a particular hot spot for cyclosporiasis this summer. As of Thursday, the state was reporting 4.312 total cases, including 102 hospitalizations.
National CDC case counts updated Monday were at 1,645 total cases and 141 that required hospitalization with no deaths reported. At that point, cases were reported in 34 states.
Watery diarrhea is the primary symptom of cyclosporiasis. Fatigue, weight loss, cramping, bloating, increased gas, nausea and loss of appetite are other possible symptoms. Infections can take around two days to two weeks to develop and can take longer than a month to clear up without treatment. Anyone with symptoms should seek medical help and, per the CDC, they might need to specifically request testing for cyclospora. Antibiotics are usually used to treat the infection.
Even in places like Allegheny County, where cases aren’t in the triple or quadruple digits, public health officials are advising caution.
“We really want people to just practice basic food hygiene, you know, food safety practices,” Dr. Irwin told KDKA. “We want people to be washing and rinsing really well, any fresh produce or cooking it. We’re telling people 158 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s very specific, but that’s the number you’ve got to hit to kill the cyclospora parasite.”
Dr. Irwin said that public health officials also encourage that people wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, especially when handling food. While hand sanitizers can be helpful, she said they won’t do much when it comes to cyclospora.
“Alcohol-based hand sanitizers don’t work to kill a parasite, so really it’s important, good old soap and water,” Dr. Irwin explained. “And we’re recommending that if people have diarrhea that they seek medical care if it lasts more than a couple of days.”
Seeking medical help is especially important to avoid complications from the illness, she added. If diarrhea is severe, it can cause dehydration and lead to kidney damage.
