Cyclospora outbreak in five states linked to Taco Bell lettuce supplier

More than 1,600 people across five US states have become sick after eating at Taco Bell restaurants. Health officials linked the illness to shredded iceberg lettuce served at certain locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.

The cause is cyclospora, a parasite that can cause severe diarrhoea lasting several weeks. Investigators traced the contaminated lettuce back to a single supplier from Mexico, later named as Taylor Farms.

Authorities told people not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell in those five states. The FDA and CDC worked together to find the source of the outbreak. Officials were also checking whether the same lettuce had been sent to other food businesses beyond Taco Bell.