FDA identifies Taco Bell lettuce as source of diarrhea parasite

Federal health investigators officially linked the multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell, the Food and Drug Administration reported on Thursday. Lab results as of Monday confirmed over 1,600 cyclosporiasis cases reported since the beginning of May across 34 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The illness hospitalized dozens of patients but has not proved fatal. Officials on Monday also reported over 5,100 suspected cyclosporiasis cases across the nation which have not been formally diagnosed.

Cyclosporiasis occurs when individuals consume food or water infected with the microscopic Cyclospora parasite, which will infect the small intestine and cause watery diarrhea, bloating, nausea, and other gastrointestinal symptoms. Symptoms appear up to two weeks after a patient’s initial exposure to the parasite, according to the CDC.

Health investigators specifically analyzed a group of 190 patients from across five states and found that over 90% reported eating lettuce at Taco Bell, according to the FDA. Despite over 30 states reporting cases, officials only warned against eating Taco Bell in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. Michigan reported the most cases of any state, local health officials reporting more than 5,000 cases as of Friday. New York marked the second-highest case count, with nearly 400 cases reported as of Monday, according to state officials.

Where is the lettuce coming from? The FDA tracers identified a specific lettuce supplier from Mexico that supplied shredded iceberg to the same Taco Bell locations where people got sick. Federal officials planned to work with the Mexican supplier to determine how much potentially contaminated lettuce remained on the market. It remains unclear whether the same lettuce also caused illnesses outside of the five confirmed states. Previous U.S. cyclosporiasis outbreaks stemmed from contaminated produce, including raspberries, basil, broccoli, sugar snap peas, and leafy greens, according to the CDC.

Several Democratic lawmakers blamed the outbreak on the Trump administration’s budget cuts. Beginning on July 1, 2025, the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, or FoodNet, a Trump administration collaboration between several federal and state health agencies, made testing for cyclospora optional. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was responsible for that change, Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., wrote Wednesday. Trump officials removed cyclosporiasis from the CDC’s tracked pathogens when it reduced foodborne illness tracking requirements last year, Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., wrote earlier this week.