Taco Bell in frame as diarrhoea outbreak sweeps US states with 1,600 stricken

Taco Bell in frame as diarrhoea outbreak sweeps US states with 1,600 stricken Health officials have issued an urgent warning after a Taco Bell linked parasite outbreak hospitalised 94 people and infected more than 1,600 people, with customers in five US states urged to avoid shredded iceberg lettuce More than 1,600 people have been caught up in a Taco Bell linked food poisoning outbreak. US health officials have urged people in five states to avoid eating shredded iceberg lettuce after an outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an infection caused by a parasite that often spreads through contaminated food or water. A total of 1,645 infections linked to Taco Bell restaurants have been confirmed across Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia, with 94 people hospitalised. The US Food and Drug Administration warned: “Do not eat food items with shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.” Cyclosporiasis can cause severe gastrointestinal illness, including nausea and diarrhoea, with symptoms sometimes taking up to two weeks to appear. While 1,645 cases have been linked to Taco Bell, the wider outbreak has sickened almost 7,000 people across the US, according to NBC News. Taco Bell said it had voluntarily removed lettuce supplied by one of its vendors in the affected states, although it has not identified the supplier. The company said: “Based on ongoing conversations with public health officials, and out of an abundance of caution, Taco Bell has taken immediate action to voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states.” It added: “The affected ingredient from our supplier is being indefinitely removed from our supply chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24 hours in select states.” The fast food chain did not specify which states would have the lettuce removed from menus. However, Michigan has recorded the highest number of illnesses, with more than 3,300 cases reported since the outbreak was first identified on May Health officials said common symptoms include watery diarrhoea lasting several days, sudden weight loss and a loss of appetite. Experts said the parasite is notoriously difficult to trace, with investigations potentially made harder by cuts to federal health agencies. Steven Manderach, executive director of the Association of Food and Drug Officials, told the BBC: “This isn’t like detecting a needle in a haystack. It’s like detecting a microscopic portion of a needle in a haystack.”