Authorities Confirm Taco Bell as Source of Explosive Diarrhea Parasite

For some, it’s been a good summer with the New York Knicks winning their first championship in 53 years, and JAY-Z crushing his Yankee Stadium run. But it’s also been a bad summer for many others, thanks to smoke from Canadian wildfires that has spread downwind to the US, and a nationwide diarrhea outbreak now officially linked to Taco Bell.

As reported by The Associated Press, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified lettuce from Mexico served at Taco Bell locations across Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia as a source of Cyclospora.

The parasite infects the small intestine and leads to the illness cyclosporiasis, which typically causes watery diarrhea with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements. It is usually not life-threatening and can be treated with antibiotics.

As a result, the CDC warned consumers not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce at Taco Bell restaurants in those five states.

Thus far, a record number of cyclosporiasis cases have been reported across 31 states. Experts have said that there may not be a single source. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has thus far identified a single supplier, Taylor Farms of Salinas, California, according to The Associated Press.

This isn’t the first time Taylor Farms has been linked to an outbreak. It was also identified as the source of a cyclosporiasis outbreak in 2013, as well as an E. coli outbreak in 2024 tied to onions served at McDonald’s.

“FDA is working with the supplier of iceberg lettuce to determine if potentially contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce remains on the market,” the CDC said. “Taco Bell has committed to stop using any lettuce from the supplier identified by FDA’s traceback investigation.”

On Tuesday, Taco Bell preempted the government’s confirmation by announcing it had “voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precautionary measure. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and follow the guidance of public health authorities.”

Federal health officials added that other “brands, restaurants, retailers, or distribution channels” could later be identified as the investigation continues.

Cyclospora infects the small intestine and cannot be transmitted from one person to another, but it spreads when people eat food or drink water that was contaminated with feces.

Due to the one-week delay between the consumption of food that causes infection and the onset of symptoms, Cyclospora cases are typically underreported.