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Food Supplier Behind Diarrhea Outbreak Is Identified

The source of the outbreak has been identified.

Health officials announced Thursday that the source of the cyclosporiasis outbreak that has struck multiple states and affected thousands of people has been identified. The outbreak of the intestinal infection, which causes severe diarrhea and fatigue, has been linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in five states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration said that investigators traced the outbreak to a single supplier of lettuce from Mexico used at Taco Bell locations in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and West Virginia. Officials urged consumers not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell restaurants in those states while the investigation continues. The CDC and FDA did not name the supplier, but two individuals familiar with the investigation told The Washington Post that investigators have identified Taylor Farms as the supplier of the lettuce in question. More than 1,600 people affected by the outbreak reported eating at Taco Bell restaurants in the five states affected. “The investigation remains active, and additional states, restaurants, retailers, or products may be identified as more information becomes available,” a spokesperson for the Health and Human Services Department said.