IT·Science News

Cyclospora outbreak: Taco Bell pulls lettuce as US cases pass 1,600 with 5,100 more under review

US federal health officials are reportedly looking at iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms, supplied to Taco Bell, as a possible source of a fast-growing outbreak of cyclosporiasis, The Guardian reported on 16 July, citing reports by the Washington Post and CNN. Taco Bell said it had voluntarily removed lettuce from a supplier in select states “out of an abundance of caution”, while noting that no official advisory had been issued.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified 1,645 lab-confirmed cases and 145 hospitalisations, with a backlog of 5,100 more cases still being analysed. It expects the outbreak to continue through August. Cases in Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky are linked.

“We’re seeing an unusually high number of cyclosporiasis cases this summer.” — Gwen Biggerstaff, CDC, via The Guardian

How each outlet framed it

• The Guardian — accountability: the Trump administration faces criticism for cuts to federal food-safety programmes and for narrowing a CDC programme that tracked foodborne illness.
• Al Jazeera — the explainer: cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that does not usually spread person to person, outbreaks have grown more frequent, likely due to better testing and warmer weather, and no produce item, grower or supplier had yet been confirmed. Taco Bell reportedly also pulled coriander, pico de gallo and guacamole at some locations.

What happened next: on 11 September the CDC declared the outbreak over. Al Jazeera reported 12,883 linked cases in 21 states, 570 hospitalisations and two deaths, both in Michigan, traced to iceberg lettuce from central Mexico supplied by Taylor Farms de Mexico, which recalled it on 17 July.