Here is your latest reminder to resist those midnight Taco Bell cravings. As reported by The Washington Post, health officials are investigating the Tex-Mex fast food chain as a potential source of a multi-state outbreak of a gastrointestinal disease that is known to cause explosive diarrhea.
As of Monday, July 13th, 31 states have reported infections of cyclosporiasis. Notably, Michigan has reported more than 2,600 cases, with 44 resulting in people being hospitalized. Contaminated produce like lettuce is typically one of the leading sources of the foodborne illness, and several Taco Bell restaurants in the Detroit area recently posted signs suggesting some involvement.
“We are currently unable to sell Lettuce, Cilantro Onion, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole due to a nationwide recall,” the notice reportedly reads. “We apologize for the inconvenience. Any items ordered that normally come with these items WILL NOT contain them.”
While Taco Bell has not officially been confirmed as a source of the Michigan outbreak, state officials have said “current results point to lettuce or salad greens as a potential source,” though “other food items cannot be completely ruled out.”
Chief medical executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian added, “Although we do not have a definite product identified as the source of the outbreak, we want to let Michiganders know what we have learned so far so they can take steps to protect their families. Early information has shown lettuce as a common product that regularly comes up during the investigation. We will continue to provide updates as we learn more.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cyclospora is a parasite that infects the small intestine and typically causes watery diarrhea with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements. It cannot be transmitted from one person to another, but it spreads when people eat food or drink water that was contaminated with feces.
Because there is usually a one-week delay between the consumption of food that causes infection and the onset of symptoms, Cyclospora is one of the most difficult foodborne pathogens to trace. This means people who become infected with the parasite often have trouble remembering what they ate.
On top of that, health officials say cases could be undercounted because people may not experience symptoms at all or recover without medical care.
In any case, you would be best off avoiding Taco Bell entirely to avoid a shitty situation — whether there is a cyclosporiasis outbreak or not.
