A Chicago man says he was hospitalized after contracting cyclosporiasis — a parasite-linked illness known for causing severe diarrhea — and believes the source was a popular Taco Bell order he ate before his symptoms began.
Alonso Zaragoza, 46, told NBC Chicago 5 that he went to the emergency room last Wednesday after more than a week of relentless diarrhea left him exhausted and alarmed.
“It was just every hour and a half going to the washroom,” Zaragoza said. “I don’t think I slept more than an hour and a half continuously in the last week.”
His concern escalated when he noticed blood in his stool, a symptom that convinced him the situation could no longer be brushed off.
“My family was like, ‘That’s not normal,’” he recalled.
At the hospital, doctors ordered blood and stool testing, placed Zaragoza on an IV drip and ultimately diagnosed him with cyclosporiasis, an intestinal infection that has spread rapidly in connection with contaminated iceberg lettuce.
After the diagnosis, Zaragoza said he began urgently reviewing everything he had eaten in an effort to determine where he may have picked up the parasite.
“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 said, pointing to the fast-food chain’s popular Chalupa Supreme.
“I looked at the app, I Googled the ingredients – it said iceberg lettuce,” he added.
By Saturday, Zaragoza said he was “probably at like 80%” recovered.
“That’s still better than a lot of people right now,” he added.
Nearly 7,000 people across 34 states have been sickened by the outbreak, which health officials have largely linked to contaminated lettuce produced by Taylor Farms and served at Taco Bell. The epidemic has led to 94 hospitalizations but no deaths, the CDC said Saturday.
The fast-food giant is now facing a growing wave of lawsuits for its alleged role in the terrifying outbreak.
Among the plaintiffs is Mohammed Ayyad, a regular customer at a Taco Bell in North Olmsted, Ohio, who said his troubles began with orders of Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes and Avocado Ranch Chicken Stackers he scarfed down over three visits in mid-June.
Days later, he developed a “severe” headache, chills, vomiting and persistent diarrhea that became so debilitating that he was unable to sleep, according to a lawsuit he filed against the eatery in Ohio federal court.
By July 9, a stool test confirmed Ayyad had contracted the parasite. He missed two weeks of work, lost income and continues to suffer nausea and other symptoms, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit names Vancouver, Wash.-based franchisee Pacific Bells LLC, which operates roughly 300 Taco Bell restaurants, as the defendant.
Ayyad’s attorney, Bill Marler, previously told The Post he plans to amend the complaint to add Salinas, Calif.-based Taylor Farms as the provider of the contaminated produce.
And more cases are in the works, the lawyer noted.
“We have been contacted by more than 30 people – and 90% of them ate at Taco Bell,” Marler said.
Taco Bell said it had “completed removal of affected Taylor Farms lettuce from our restaurants” while the supplier recalled a lengthy list of products, including shredded iceberg lettuce.
Cyclosporiasis is contracted by ingesting a microscopic parasite contaminated with human feces.
It most commonly causes prolonged diarrhea but can also trigger stomach cramps, nausea, fatigue, bloating, weight loss and low-grade fever, according to the CDC.
People with weakened immune systems, the elderly or children can experience more severe illness, the FDA said.
Zaragoza urged others to take extra precautions as the outbreak continues.
“Stay hydrated, be careful [about] where you’re eating, making sure you wash, clean and cook any greens that you’re eating,” he said.
Zaragoza did not immediately respond to messages from The Post.
