Officials believe they know the source of a parasitic illness that has affected thousands of people in the United States.
Citing two individuals familiar with the case, The Washington Post reported that investigators have identified shredded iceberg lettuce supplied to Taco Bell restaurants by Taylor Farms as a potential source of the contamination.
The two spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details of the ongoing investigation.
The outbreak of cyclosporiasis has been largely concentrated in southeastern Michigan, where more than 4,300 cases have been reported and at least 100 people have been hospitalized as of Thursday.
According to The Post, officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week they have identified a likely link among cyclosporiasis cases in four states – Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky – marking the agency’s clearest public indication yet that many of the illnesses are connected to a common source.
A top official from the Food and Drug Administration said earlier this week that its investigation involves multiple produce items, including lettuce, according to The Post.
“The signal we have gotten is that there is a very high percentage of people who got sick at Taco Bell, and when investigators asked what their menu items were in common, lettuce came up frequently,” one of the individuals told the paper. When the FDA asked the company where they sourced the lettuce from, it was Taylor Farms, not just for the Taco Bell stores in Michigan but also for restaurants in the three other states, the person said.
Notices posted at some Detroit-area Taco Bell restaurants earlier this month told customers the chain was “currently unable to sell Lettuce, Cilantro Onion, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole due to a nationwide recall,” according to media reports.
Taco Bell Corp. said this week that it will continue to monitor the situation and follow the guidance of health authorities.
“The health and safety of our guests is our top priority,” the company said. It had said it “voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precautionary measure.”
