Taco Bell investigated as part of cyclospora parasite outbreak, report says

ktla ^ | 07/14/2026 | Jocelyn Fiset

[BenLurkin]

A new report says health officials are investigating Taco Bell as a potential part of the cyclosporiasis outbreak that’s sickened thousands of people across the U.S., with many suffering from extreme diarrhea.

The Washington Post cites two anonymous sources close to the investigation, which is said to involve both federal and state health officials.

Taco Bell has reportedly removed lettuce, cilantro, pico de gallo and guacamole from its menu in some areas as a precaution.

Michigan’s health department has pointed to lettuce or other salad greens as a potential source of the outbreak, but said some people infected with the parasite did not eat at Taco Bell.

The CDC has not yet confirmed if a specific food item is the source of the outbreak.

Nearly 7,000 cases of cyclosporiasis, a gastrointestinal illness that can cause extreme diarrhea, have been confirmed by health officials across more than half of U.S. states.

The illness is caused by the Cyclospora parasite, which enters the body through contaminated produce, the CDC says.

If ingested, you may experience weeks of watery diarrhea, as well as “frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” the CDC reports.

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Food
KEYWORDS: cyclospora; outbreak; parasite; tacobell

[Aut Pax Aut Bellum]

One Mexican takes a dump in a lettuce field and all hell breaks loose

One? I was delivering to a customer in southern New Jersey, and the porta potty had picture signs outside encouraging people not to poop in the fields but to use the porta potty, and then wash their hands (it had a sink on the outside).Wording was only in Spanish.

[madison10]

Yuck!

[rxh4n1]

My wife mixes in a little refried beans to hold the ground meat together.

[GenXPolymath]

“Too many third world people touching , cooking and serving food”

Yes but this specific bug is not passed human to human it must first go through it’s lifecycle outside a human body but in warm wet soil or water. It cannot go directly from human to hunan it needs a couple weeks in the wild literally.

So human poop 💩 to soil and water let it grow up then it needs to get on fruit or veggies and be eaten.

[Wilderness Conservative]

I was a trucker. The horrors I saw along the border areas can’t be unseen. Never understood why used toilet paper was thrown on the floor and toilets were never flushed.

[LS]

They did get cheap and eliminate the olives on top and have discontinued the “spork.”

[CodeToad]

After all these years…

[Sirius Lee]

“frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,”

I believe this is one of the few articles where BOOM would be justified in the headline.

[eldoradude]

I was a trucker. The horrors I saw along the border areas can’t be unseen. Never understood why used toilet paper was thrown on the floor and toilets were never flushed.

The pipes in Mexico and other countries have a smaller diameter than American ones so they get clogged when the tp is flushed. They throw it in the trash instead...

[Big Red Badger]

SPORKs!
.
Well finished a JUMBACO here at the
Prescott Court House and It’s XLNT!
I can Still depend on Jack in the Box!

[Wilderness Conservative]

Thank you! I knew there had to be a reason.