What you need to know about cysticercosis as cases rise in New York City
Here’s what you need to know about cyclosporiasis, a disease known for its explosive bowel movements, and its prevalence in New York City.
Taco Bell has removed food from some stores in what the fast food chain said was a precautionary measure because thousands of people have been infected with cysticercosis, a gastrointestinal disease.
The restaurant chain did not specify where ingredients were reduced or where menu items were affected. The Detroit Free Press reported that several stores in metro Detroit have stopped selling lettuce and cilantro.
In a statement to USA TODAY, Taco Bell said, “As a precautionary measure, we have voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients from some of our restaurants. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and follow the guidance of public health officials.”
Taco Bell said public health officials “have not confirmed any association with Taco Bell or any specific ingredients, suppliers, restaurants, or retailers.”
In Brooklyn, major grocery stores and fast food chains such as Taco Bell had not removed the products as of July 14, according to Reuters.
As of July 13, there were 1,645 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, or the disease caused by the parasite Cyclospora caetanensis, and more than 5,100 more cases are being investigated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Thirty-four states have reported cases or suspected cases, CDC officials said.
The CDC also said testing and other evidence shows outbreaks in four states are likely related: Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky. But the country’s leading public health agency has not publicly identified common suppliers, distributors or companies.
Parasitic infections can cause symptoms such as watery or explosive diarrhea, cramps, nausea, and fatigue.
According to the state Department of Health and Human Services, Michigan has been particularly affected by the spread of infection, with more than 2,600 people infected as of July 13.
State health officials have identified lettuce and salad greens as potential sources of infection, but said they cannot rule out other foods.
Asked specifically about Taco Bell, Donald Prater, the FDA’s acting assistant commissioner for food, said the agency “continues to follow up on multiple produce products, including locations where patients reported the disease prior to their illness.”
Investigators from state and local health departments and the Food and Drug Administration are gathering information about when, where and what infected people ate. That information will be analyzed along with laboratory data, CDC officials said.
“At this time, we have not identified a specific source of infection, but we are working hard to continue collecting and analyzing data,” Gwen Biggerstaff, deputy director of the CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, said on July 14.
