July 17, 2026
Michaela Althouse/PhillyVoice
The cyclosporiasis outbreak has been tied to contaminated lettuce supplied to Taco Bell restaurants in five states, federal health officials say.
The cyclosporiasis outbreak may be partly linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in five states, federal health officials said Thursday night. The list does not include Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and state public health officials are investigating infections linked to lettuce supplied to Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. Health officials are also investigating other unrelated cases.
Health officials did not name the lettuce supplier, only noting it came from Mexico. But the New York Times reported that lettuce was supplied by Taylor Farms, citing two federal officials. It is unclear whether Taylor Farms supplied the lettuce to other vendors, the Times reported.
Taco Bell said Thursday that it has voluntarily removed potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states and vowed to replace the ingredient within 24 hours.
"While no official advisory has been issued, we believe public health is a shared responsibility among restaurants, their suppliers, and authorities, and we are proud to have consistently acted quickly and proactively to protect our guests," Taco Bell said in a statement. "Taco Bell has taken precautionary action, and we encourage all relevant restaurants, retailers, and foodservice operators to do the same."
FDA officials said they're working with the lettuce supplier to see if potentially contaminated lettuce is still on the market, and product samples are being collected in multiple states for additional testing. The FDA is conducting additional screenings at the Mexican border for other products that might be affected.
Taylor Farms also sells vegetable trays and salad mixes to grocery stores. The chief medical executive for Michigan told the New York Times that not everyone who has been sickened with the parasite has said they ate at a single restaurant, and many people said they did not eat at Taco Bell.
Taylor Farms was linked to a cyclosporiasis outbreak in 2013 that was thought to be caused by a contaminated salad mix, and the company was believed to have supplied contaminated onions to McDonalds that caused an E. coli outbreak in 2024. The company's products can be found at a number of stores in Philadelphia, including Acme, Giant, Whole Foods, Shoprite, Fresh Grocer, Dollar General, Sprouts Farmers Market, Target and 7-Eleven.
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness caused by a parasite, and it most often is contracted by consuming food or water that has been contaminated with feces containing eggs from the parasite. It causes watery diarrhea and sometimes "explosive bowel movements," according to the CDC, and though it can be treated with antibiotics, it can last for over a month if left untreated.
As of Friday, the CDC has reported 1,644 cases nationwide and 94 hospitalizations, but the total number of cases is probably much higher because the CDC doesn't report probable cases. Michigan has reported more than 5,000 cases so far. On Monday, the Pennsylvania Department of Health said that it had reported 28 cases this year.
The best way to avoid contracting cyclosporiasis is to avoid consuming contaminated food or drinks. Cooking produce above 158 degrees with kill the cyclospora parasite, and food safety experts recommend thoroughly washing produce before consuming it raw.
