Cases of stomach illness caused by the cyclospora parasite are rising rapidly in Florida.
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In one week, from July 4 to July 11, Florida reported 46 additional cases of cyclosporiasis, the “explosive diarrhea”-causing stomach bug that has sickened thousands of people across the country. Thirty counties in Florida are now affected, with 106 cases in total.
The increase comes as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it has found the potential source, at least for cases in five states. The CDC said Friday it has linked as many as 1,644 infections to shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.
“FDA is working with the supplier of iceberg lettuce to determine if potentially contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce remains on the market,” including in other states, the CDC said. “Taco Bell has committed to stop using any lettuce from the supplier identified by the FDA’s traceback investigation.”
Taco Bell issued a statement saying it had “voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precautionary measure.”
While not yet official, the Associated Press reported that the supplier is Taylor Farms of Salinas, California, which has been tied to past foodborne outbreaks. Taylor Farms is the world’s largest producer of salad and fresh-cut vegetables and a major supplier to the fast-food industry. Taylor Farms was also tied to a 2013 cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to salad mix and a 2024 E. coli outbreak tied to onions served at McDonald’s. So far, the company has not commented publicly about the current outbreak.
As of Friday, a record number of cyclospora cases — the CDC is investigating up to 5,100 unconfirmed cases since May 1 — have been reported in more than 30 states, and food experts contend that not every case may be caused by a single source.
In South Florida, many Publix shoppers said they have stopped buying bagged salad mixes, while others have backed away from all lettuce, for now.
Debbie Gold of Weston said she stopped buying all lettuce and discussed doing so with fellow shoppers in the Publix produce section, where shelves in many stores are fully stocked. “Everyone was trying to figure out what was safe to buy,” she said. “I am going to stay away from lettuce for a little while. It is not worth taking a chance. I am going to have to eat sandwiches instead.”
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Gold said the outbreak has left people confused. “I did buy berries and I was worried about that. It’s been very confusing.”
Food experts are advising to skip bagged salads, salad kits, and boxed salads from the grocery store, and to avoid them at restaurants and fast-food restaurants. Whole heads of lettuce are less worrisome if you strip the outer 2-3 layers, where contamination is most likely to sit, they say.
In previous outbreaks, the sources were raspberries, fresh herbs (basil, cilantro), onions, and snap/snow peas. However, there has been no confirmed link to those items in this outbreak.
Stick to produce you can peel or cook, advises Keith Schneider, a professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Florida. “Any time you have any produce that is not cooked, there’s a potential.”
And epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina notes: “Washing helps a little, but not entirely, because these microscopic parasites love to hide in the grooves and crevices.”
Reddit is filled with Floridians’ personal accounts of encounters with the “explosive diarrhea” stomach illness, detailing how they thought they were better, only to have the symptoms return and how they are on their fifth, seventh, and even 10th day of cramps and watery diarrhea.
Experts note that many different stomach bugs cause diarrhea. The only way to know if you have cyclosporiasis is to get tested. Cyclospora can be treated with the combination antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, also known as Bactrim, Septra or Cotrim.
South Florida Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at [email protected].
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