Thousands of Americans fall ill after eating at fast-food restaurant

© picture alliance/dpa | Julia Kilian

In the United States, a parasite is causing thousands of infections, resulting in severe diarrhea. The culprit is believed to be iceberg lettuce served at restaurants of the fast-food chain Taco Bell.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. public health agency, there has been a sharp increase since mid-May in the number of cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection spread through contaminated food or water that causes watery diarrhea that can last for days.

The infections occurred primarily in five U.S. states. The CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were able to trace the source of the outbreak to a supplier of iceberg lettuce in Mexico that is served at Taco Bell restaurants in the U.S. states of Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia, according to U.S. media reports.

According to authorities, more than 1,644 people who fell ill due to this outbreak reported that they had eaten at Taco Bell locations in the five states.

“The investigation is ongoing, and as more information becomes available, additional states, restaurants, stores, or products may be identified,” Emily Hilliard, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services, told The Washington Post.

This summer’s cyclosporiasis outbreak—one of the largest outbreaks of this disease in the United States—was concentrated primarily in southeastern Michigan, where more than 4,300 cases have been reported so far. At least 100 people have been hospitalized in Michigan.

Picture: © picture alliance/dpa | Julia Kilian