Since May, a parasitic illness traced to a single ingredient at a single fast-food chain has quietly spread across five states, reminding us how invisibly the vulnerabilities of a globalized food supply can move through daily life. Federal investigators have linked more than 1,640 cases of cyclosporiasis — a gastrointestinal infection caused by a microscopic parasite — to shredded iceberg lettuce from a Mexican supplier served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. The source has been identified, the lettuce removed, and treatment exists — yet the full
CDC links Taco Bell lettuce to cyclosporiasis outbreak across five states
Over 1,640 people sickened across five states with 94 hospitalizations; no deaths reported but outbreak may extend beyond identified states.