US fast food chain Taco Bell has removed lettuce from its menu in some states after a study found it may be linked to an outbreak of explosive diarrhea caused by parasites.
Taco Bell told the BBC it made the decision “out of an abundance of caution” and after discussions with health officials.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said 1,645 people in five states who were “exposed” to Taco Bell became infected with cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection spread through contaminated food or water.
No deaths have been reported, but 94 people have been hospitalized due to the cyclosporiasis infection, which was first discovered on May 13, the agency added.
“Avoid eating foods containing shredded Mexican iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said.
The company said it would remove and replace lettuce from one of its suppliers indefinitely.
“Although no formal recommendations have been issued, we believe that public health is a shared responsibility between restaurants, suppliers and authorities,” the restaurant said.
It did not say which states will see the lettuce removed from menus, but most cases have been reported in Michigan, where more than 3,300 cases have been detected.
Taco Bell did not disclose the source of the lettuce believed to be linked to the outbreak, but U.S. media identified the supplier as Taylor Farms in Mexico. U.S. health officials said the FDA traced the outbreak to a lettuce supplier in Mexico.
“We will voluntarily remove all iceberg lettuce produced in central Mexico from the US market,” Taylor Farms told the BBC in a statement.
FDA officials said tracing led them to one of the independent farms as a potential source of the outbreak.
Symptoms of cyclosporiasis infection may take about two weeks to appear.
Watery diarrhea that lasts for several days, sudden weight loss, and loss of appetite are some of the more common symptoms.
Experts told the BBC that the parasite is notoriously difficult to track, a task that could be complicated in part by budget cuts to federal health agencies.
“This is not like detecting a needle in a haystack. It’s like detecting the microscopic detail of a needle in a haystack,” said Steven Manderach, executive director of the Food and Drug Administration Association.
Madeline Halpert, Kayla Epstein and Grace Goodwin contributed to this report.
