A Chicago-area man recovering in the hospital says he believes his last Taco Bell order may be tied to a cyclosporiasis infection, a diarrhea-causing parasite illness now at the center of mounting legal scrutiny against the fast-food chain.
Alonso Zaragoza, 46, said he ended up in a Northwell Hospital emergency department on Wednesday after days of intensifying gastrointestinal problems, including relentless bouts of severe diarrhea.
‘It was just every hour and a half going to the washroom,’ Zaragoza told NBC Chicago 5.
He said the illness left him barely able to rest, adding: ‘I don’t think I slept more than an hour and a half continuously in the last week.’ The situation became more alarming Wednesday when he spotted blood in his stool.
Zaragoza went to the ER, where physicians ordered multiple blood tests and took a stool sample. The results, he said, confirmed he had contracted cyclosporiasis.
Trying to determine the likely source of the parasite, Zaragoza reviewed what he had eaten before becoming sick and said one item stood out: a chalupa included in Taco Bell’s Luxe Box.
‘I looked through everything, there was nothing that I ate that contained lettuce except for a chalupa from the luxe box at Taco Bell,’ he told the outlet.
‘I looked at the app, I Googled the ingredients – it said iceberg lettuce.’
Alonso Zaragoza, 46, said the stomach bug landed him in a Northwell Hospital emergency room on Wednesday
Zaragoza retraced his steps to pinpoint where he may have contracted the parasite and recalled eating a chalupa from Taco Bell’s Luxe Box shortly before falling ill
A five-state cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce is now under investigation by the FDA.
The CDC and FDA did not identify the supplier, but two people familiar with the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity told The Washington Post that Taylor Farms was the supplier of the shredded iceberg lettuce.
Taylor Farms voluntarily recalled iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico on Friday, while Taco Bell said it removed the affected lettuce from its restaurants.
Federal health investigators have not confirmed whether produce from the supplier is linked to cases in other states, including Illinois. The Illinois Department of Public Health reported at least 309 confirmed cases statewide, with about 60 in Chicago.
‘Stay hydrated, be careful where you’re eating, making sure you wash, clean, and cook any greens that you’re eating,’ Zaragoza told NBC Chicago 5.
Taco Bell now faces a flurry of lawsuits in Michigan and Ohio, accusing the chain of selling contaminated lettuce and failing to protect customers, Forbes reported.
One victim in Ohio – Mohammed Ayyad – claimed he was diagnosed with the parasite that left him ‘unable to function,’ per a suit he filed against Taco Bell franchisee Pacific Bells on Thursday.
Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that infects the small intestine. It doesn’t spread person-to-person. Instead, it contaminates fresh produce through infected human feces
Taylor Farms (Headquarters in Salinas, California pictured) is allegedly a potential source of contamination in the cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands of people in the US with explosive diarrhea
Taco Bell said it ‘has taken precautionary action, and we encourage all relevant restaurants, retailers, and foodservice operators to do the same’
Ayyad said he suffered horrific symptoms in mid-June, including headaches, chills, diarrhea, and vomiting.
His lawsuit accused Pacific Bells of violating Ohio consumer protection laws by selling lettuce that did not meet advertised quality standards.
Michigan has seen a staggering spike in cyclosporiasis cases, surpassing 4,300 compared to its typical fewer-than-50 yearly average, with 102 hospitalizations reported.
A Michigan couple also sued the chain, claiming they developed cyclosporiasis after eating lettuce from the chain on June 30.
They further accused Taco Bell of negligence and breaking state consumer protection laws.
Taco Bell issued a statement addressing its potential role in the nationwide outbreak of a parasite that causes explosive diarrhea.
The popular fast-food chain said in a statement published Thursday: ‘Based on ongoing conversations with public health officials, and out of an abundance of caution, Taco Bell has taken immediate action to voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states.
‘The affected ingredient from our supplier is being indefinitely removed from our supply chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24 hours in select states.
‘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 has taken precautionary action, and we encourage all relevant restaurants, retailers, and foodservice operators to do the same.’
The chain was first identified as a potential source of the outbreak earlier this week, when anonymous sources told The Washington Post that federal and state health officials were allegedly investigating the restaurant as a possible source.
Then, on Thursday, the CDC and FDA posted updates to the cyclosporiasis outbreak investigation, stating tracing had linked the illnesses to shredded iceberg lettuce from a single supplier in Mexico that had been used at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
