Health Officials Identify Source of US Explosive Diarrhoea Outbreak
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US health officials have traced an outbreak of Cyclospora parasite infections to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms. The outbreak has affected thousands of consumers, leading to hospitalizations and widespread product recalls across 27 states, including affected Taco Bell and Walmart locations.
A sample of iceberg lettuce from major food supplier Taylor Farms (Salinas, California, U.S.) has tested positive for the parasite that caused an explosive diarrhoea outbreak affecting thousands of people in the United States, public health officials confirmed.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that Taylor Farms, which supplies the Taco Bell fast-food chain, had confirmed the positive sample was taken from a product batch that was not part of its initial recall announced on Friday. The agriculture company had announced on Friday that it was voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce from the US market that was sourced from central Mexico and issued a detailed list of affected products.
Hospitalizations and Differences in Regulatory Action
To date, no deaths have been reported, but at least 94 people have been hospitalized due to severe cyclosporiasis infections. Health authorities note that a formal recall differs from a voluntary product removal in that a recall legally requires a company to notify customers and actively recover affected products from commerce, making it a broader and significantly more costly corrective action.
The FDA explained that it collected the positive sample during targeted import surveillance as part of its ongoing investigation into the multi-state outbreak.
“Taylor Farms has confirmed that this positive product is not part of their current recall,” the FDA stated. “They are currently working to identify whether any part of this implicated lot is available in commerce or in consumers' homes.”
Infection Timeline and Key Symptoms
According to official FDA data, the first infections were detected on May 13. Symptoms of this severe foodborne illness can take up to two weeks to present after exposure. Key symptoms include prolonged watery diarrhoea that lasts for days, sudden weight loss, nausea, and a complete loss of appetite.
Thousands of people have been infected with Cyclospora linked directly to iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms and subsequently sold at Taco Bell locations in at least five states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Scope of Retail Recalls across States
The CDC explicitly advises consumers not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations across Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. The fast-food chain confirmed it had completed the complete removal of affected Taylor Farms lettuce from its restaurants in those regions.
In an official corporate statement, Taylor Farms noted that it has “stopped receiving product from the implicated lot, suspended distribution of the iceberg lettuce from Central Mexico, notified our customers, and is continuing to work with the FDA, CDC, and state authorities.”
The broader lettuce recall spans 27 states. The affected distribution network also includes Marketside-branded iceberg lettuce sold at Walmart locations across 15 states, according to confirmed guidance from the FDA.
