Not the Onion: Authorities investigate Taco Bell and lettuce as cyclosporiasis outbreak surges [View all]
Federal and state health officials are investigating whether Taco Bell restaurants played a role in one of the largest U.S. outbreaks of a gastrointestinal illness caused by a parasite that contaminates fresh produce, according to two individuals familiar with the investigation.
The two individuals spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing into the outbreak of the infection, which can cause days of diarrhea and has sickened more than 4,000 — mostly in southeastern Michigan and some surrounding areas.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that investigators have identified a likely epidemiological link among cyclosporiasis cases in at least four Midwestern states — Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky — marking the agency’s clearest public indication yet that many of the illnesses are connected by a common source. Cases have been identified in at least 34 states, and additional confirmed illnesses could continue to increase through the end of August, officials said.
But CDC and Food and Drug Administration officials did not discuss whether any restaurant chains are part of the investigation during a media briefing Tuesday.
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