Cases of the parasite-borne illness cyclosporiasis are now being linked in some states to lettuce served with food from Taco Bell. Therefore, the chain is allegedly being sued by some customers who became sick after eating there, per TMZ. The outlet claims that "at least three new lawsuits" are in the pipeline as a result. It's possible that additional lawsuits could be brought by others as well.
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Multiple People Are Allegedly Taking Legal Action Against the Chain
In one instance cited by the outlet, a military vet named David Ott claims that he ate Taco Supremes from a Taco Bell in Ohio. That was on two dates in mid-June. Ott subsequently alleges that he came down with classic symptoms of cyclosporiasis - "abdominal pain, gas, diarrhea, and more."
Furthermore, when his condition apparently got worse, Ott went to the hospital. There, he had a battery of standard tests such as stool and blood analysis and a colonoscopy. His illness was determined to be cyclosporiasis.
Someone else in Ohio, a man named Mohammed Ayyad, alleges that he consumed food from Taco Bell three times on two dates in June. He also developed uncomfortable symptoms, especially the telltale one of "persistent diarrhea." When Ayyad went to an urgent care clinic on July 6, his stool sample allegedly revealed Cyclospora. That is the parasite that causes the sickness.
In yet another example, a couple in Michigan is also suing Taco Bell. They allegedly consumed shredded lettuce from the fast food chain on June 30. They say their food was "grossly contaminated with fecal matter containing the Cyclospora parasite," per the outlet, and they reportedly got sick from eating it.
Lettuce Seems To Be Linked to the Outbreak
Per the Associated Press, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cautioned the public against eating shredded iceberg lettuce at Taco Bell locations in five states. They are West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Michigan. The outlet also added that "A record number of cyclospora cases have been reported in more than 30 states...."
The Apparent Supplier of the Lettuce, Taylor Fresh Foods, Issued a Statement
The investigation into this illness outbreak and all of its possible causes is still ongoing. Meanwhile, Taylor Fresh Foods, based in Salinas, California, has issued a statement about the situation on its website. The statement dated July 17 said this in part.
"Based on information provided yesterday by the FDA, Taylor Farms de Mexico is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market. While the FDA traceback is indicating a specific independent farm that represents less than 1% of the U.S.'s iceberg lettuce supply as the potential source of the outbreak, we have removed all iceberg lettuce from the region indefinitely."
The statement also noted, "We are committed to doing everything in our power to address this issue, support the ongoing investigation, and help restore trust."
These two sentences appeared in the statement in bold lettering: "No Taylor Farms-branded salads or kits are associated with this outbreak. No Taylor Farms-branded salad kits contain iceberg lettuce."
Taco Bell Also Released a Statement
Amid the flurry of concerns and headlines, Taco Bell also had a statement of its own. Issued on July 17, it said this in part. "As of July 17, Taco Bell has completed removal of affected Taylor Farms lettuce from our restaurants. Based on ongoing conversations with public health officials, and out of an abundance of caution, Taco Bell worked swiftly to voluntarily remove the product from restaurants, and the affected ingredient has been removed from our supply chain nationwide."
