LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — Taco Bell has removed lettuce from its restaurants as a precaution while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigates a supplier believed to be the source of a cyclosporiasis outbreak.
The FDA is investigating Taylor Farms, which supplies lettuce to the restaurant chain, as a possible source of the parasite Cyclospora. The illness, known as cyclosporiasis, can cause severe diarrhea, and more than 7,000 cases have been reported nationwide.
According to the Ohio Department of Health's Infectious Disease Dashboard, there were nearly 1,300 reported cases of cyclosporiasis in the state as of the beginning of the week. The parasite has been identified in nearly all local counties. Approximately one-quarter of Ohio's reported cases have been recorded in Wood and Lucas counties. While the disease is generally not fatal, symptoms can last for up to a month.
“If you have diarrhea that lasts for more than a couple of days or if you can't uh hold down fluids or if you're feeling weak um then you would need to go see your doctor. Uh it is treatable, you know, there's an antibiotic that's widely available that can treat it. Um this isn't something that tends to kill people uh but it you know can cause a lot of injury particularly if you're somebody that's already rather ill or has immuno compromise or something like that,” says Dr. Corry Clinton, Family Medicine, Lima Memorial Health System.
The supplier under investigation is based in Mexico. The FDA is working directly with the company to determine whether contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce was distributed to other locations.
