Taylor Farms lettuce supplied to Taco Bell emerges as potential source of US cyclosporiasis outbreak: Report

California-based supplier Taylor Farms, which supplied shredded iceberg lettuce to Yum Brands' Taco Bell restaurants, has been identified as a potential source of contamination in the cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands in the US.

Citing two people familiar with the investigation, the Washington Post on Thursday reported that this year's outbreak of cyclosporiasis has been largely concentrated in southeastern Michigan, where over 4,300 cases have been reported so far, and at least 100 people have been hospitalised.

What did the investigation reveal?

According to the report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials said this week that they identified a possible link among cyclosporiasis cases from four states, including Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia, providing the agency's strongest public evidence yet that many of the illnesses are connected to a common source. Earlier this week, an official from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that its investigation involves several produce items, including lettuce.

The report, citing one of the sources, said, "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."

Further, when the FDA asked Taco Bell where they sourced their lettuce from, Taylor Farms' name emerged, and not just for the Taco Bell stores in Michigan but also for restaurants in three other states.

Michigan hit the hardest

Officials in Michigan, which has been hit the hardest and has logged hundreds of cases daily, earlier said that leafy lettuce is the leading suspected source, according to interviews with over 1,000 patients. However, cases have been detected in at least 34 states, and according to officials, confirmed illnesses could continue to rise till the end of August.

Earlier this month, notices were posted outside some Detroit-area Taco Bell restaurants informing customers that the food chain was “currently unable to sell Lettuce, Cilantro Onion, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole due to a nationwide recall."

Taco Bell's response to the outbreak

Responding to the cyclosporiasis outbreak, Taco Bell said earlier this week that it will continue to monitor the situation and follow the guidelines issued by health authorities. The company added, "The health and safety of our guests is our top priority," and that it had "voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precautionary measure."

International Fresh Produce Association criticises outbreak probe

After officials in Michigan warned that lettuce could be a possible culprit, the International Fresh Produce Association criticised public health officials over their handling of the outbreak investigation. Max Teplitski, the association's chief science officer, said, "Everything pointing to produce is based on recollections of patients, and even those recollections — based on what we hear — explain, at most, only half of the current cases." He added, "Cyclospora is a parasite with a notoriously complex life cycle and can be hard to detect in the environment, and some of the methods used to detect it have performed inconsistently."

What is Cyclosporiasis?

According to the CDC, cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by the microscopic parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis. People can become infected by consuming food or water that contains the parasite. Cyclosporiasis is not usually life-threatening. Symptoms for cyclosporiasis usually begin about 2–14 days after exposure and may include watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping, bloating, increased gas, nausea, and fatigue.