{"id":4514,"date":"2026-07-14T18:38:55","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T18:38:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=4514"},"modified":"2026-07-14T18:38:55","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T18:38:55","slug":"cyclosporiasis-what-to-know-about-the-diarrhea-outbreak-taco-bell-and-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=4514","title":{"rendered":"Cyclosporiasis: What to know about the diarrhea outbreak, Taco Bell and California"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<p>One of the nation\u2019s largest outbreaks in years of the parasitic infection cyclosporiasis has sickened people in 31 states, and the latest development involves Taco Bell.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=4512\">Meet the Bay Area lawyer taking on StubHub over World Cup ticket sales<\/a><\/p>\n<p>A surge in cases began in mid-June, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Its count of confirmed U.S. cases was 843 as of July 9, but public health officials in Michigan alone \u2014 the hardest-hit state \u2014 said they had recorded more than 2,600.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what to know about it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the disease?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The parasite cyclospora causes a gastrointestinal ailment whose principal symptom is watery diarrhea \u201cwith frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,\u201d the CDC says. It is rarely life-threatening \u2014 no deaths have been tied to the current outbreak \u2014 and can be treated with antibiotics.<\/p>\n<p>It is most commonly spread by consumption of fruits or vegetables that are tainted by feces-contaminated irrigation water.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Is it in California?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Last week\u2019s CDC update put California among the states that have one to 10 confirmed cases.<\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>What\u2019s the Taco Bell connection?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Last week some Taco Bells in the Detroit area stopped using certain produce ingredients \u2014\u00a0 lettuce, cilantro, onion, pico de gallo and guacamole \u2014 and on Tuesday the Washington Post reported that federal and state health officials are examining the fast-food chain\u2019s possible role in the outbreak.<\/p>\n<p>No specific food item or supplier has been definitively linked to the outbreak, but a public statement Monday from Michigan\u2019s health department said \u201ccurrent results\u00a0point to lettuce or\u00a0salad\u00a0greens\u00a0as a potential\u00a0source for this outbreak.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=4510\">\u2018How to Eat Fried Worms\u2019 star Blake Garrett\u2019s cause of death revealed<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Is this worse than a normal year?<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<p>As of last week, the Associated Press reported, CDC data showed a case total four times higher than on the same date last year \u2014 and that was without including the hundreds of cases reported by state public health agencies that the CDC has not confirmed.<\/p>\n<p>The CDC noted that there is significant underreporting of cyclosporiasis. Many infected people endure the symptoms without seeking medical treatment.<\/p>\n<p>The Associated Press said available information shows only a small number of documented outbreaks in the last 20 years that have surpassed 1,000 cases. One of the most recent was a 2019 outbreak linked to Mexican basil that sickened more than 2,400 people.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What precautions can be taken?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Fresh produce should be thoroughly washed in running water, and fruits and vegetables with firm rinds should be scrubbed. Wash your hands with soap and water before and after handling produce.<\/p>\n<p>Michigan public health officials have advised buying heads of lettuce rather than bagged salad mixes and discarding the outer two or three layers of leaves before washing the lettuce.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=4508\">Brian Copeland returning to stage Saturday \u2013 weeks after open heart surgery<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last week&#8217;s CDC update put California among the states that have confirmed cases.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4513,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4514","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Cyclosporiasis: What to know about the diarrhea outbreak, Taco Bell and California - 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