Shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Indiana is linked to cyclospora outbreak. Investigation continues
Transcript
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Lettuce from Mexico is linked to a multistate outbreak of cyclospora, and the Food and Drug Administration is now warning people not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell locations in the affected states. NPR’s Allison Aubrey joins us now with more details. Hi, Allison.
ALLISON AUBREY, BYLINE: Hi, Ailsa. Great to be here.
CHANG: Great to have you. OK, so what started out as this small outbreak seemed to grow really quickly, and now it sounds like we have the source of this outbreak. It’s been identified.
AUBREY: Well, yes, a likely source. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 1,600 people infected with cyclospora reported eating Taco Bell in five states. These are Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. And in Michigan, where investigators interviewed nearly 200 people who’d gotten sick after eating at Taco Bell, 90% said they’d eaten iceberg lettuce as part of their meal.
CHANG: Ninety percent – OK, so…
AUBREY: Yeah.
CHANG: Is the contaminated lettuce being removed from the supply chain?
AUBREY: Well, that is certainly the goal. A statement from Taco Bell says it has taken immediate action to voluntarily remove potentially affected lettuce. The FDA’s trace back investigation has identified a single supplier of iceberg lettuce from Mexico. Earlier this afternoon, Taylor Farms confirmed it is removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from Central Mexico. The company says no Taylor Farms branded salads or kits – those are the ones, you know, that you can buy in the grocery store are associated with this outbreak. But as part of the investigation, the FDA says it’s working with states to collect sample products for testing and analysis. And the agency says it’s also increasing screening at the border, Ailsa, aiming to identify lettuce that may be implicated in this outbreak.
CHANG: OK. Well, you’ve named five states here – Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. But…
AUBREY: Yep.
CHANG: Allison, what about cases in other states?
AUBREY: Yeah. So the outbreak in the Midwest is big – thousands of cases there – but cyclospora cases have been reported in a total of 34 states. It’s possible that more states will be added to this advisory.
So here’s the rub, Ailsa. The link to shredded lettuce served at Taco Bell may not explain all of the cases. The FDA says, this investigation is ongoing, and contaminated lettuce may have been shipped to other retailers. It’s also possible that there’s another source that has led to some of these cyclospora cases.
CHANG: Oh, dear. OK, well, then, short of not eating any iceberg lettuce, how can people otherwise protect themselves right now?
AUBREY: Yeah. Well, cyclospora is a parasite that gets onto produce from contaminated water, typically when the crops are being irrigated, and then the parasite causes the GI issues, clearly. Now, I don’t know too many people who want to eat cooked lettuce, Ailsa.
CHANG: Oh.
AUBREY: But heat does kill the parasite. So food cooked to 158 degrees will get rid of the pathogen. More practically, the CDC recommends rinsing produce. Here’s Dr. Gwen Biggerstaff of the CDC.
GWEN BIGGERSTAFF: Wash your hands and any fresh produce thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting or cooking. This will reduce the risk of infection.
AUBREY: It may not get rid of all of the parasite, but it helps.
CHANG: OK. Wash, wash, wash.
AUBREY: That’s right.
CHANG: What should people do, though, if they think they might be infected?
AUBREY: Yeah.
CHANG: Oh, God.
AUBREY: Good question. This is a nasty infection with symptoms that can last weeks. So if you’ve had diarrhea with waves of fatigue or nausea, officials say you should ask to be tested. I mean, there is no routine testing for cyclospora, but with this big outbreak, it is now on the radar of healthcare providers. And the good news, Ailsa, is that it’s treatable with antibiotics.
CHANG: You can get rid of it.
AUBREY: That’s right.
CHANG: That is NPR’s Allison Aubrey. Thank you, Allison.
AUBREY: Thank you.
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