An Ohio resident has filed the first lawsuit against a Taco Bell franchise operator after contracting cyclospora from meals at the chain and suffering severe symptoms for weeks.
The complaint, brought by food safety attorney Bill Marler on behalf of Mohammed R. Ayyad, targets Pacific Bells, LLC over exposure at a North Olmsted location, reports ClickOnDetroit.
Health officials have linked the parasite to shredded iceberg lettuce supplied to Taco Bell locations across multiple states by a single Mexican supplier.
Ayyad ate at the restaurant on June 14 and June 21, 2026, developed symptoms including severe headache, chills, vomiting and persistent diarrhea around June 23, tested positive on July 9 after seeking urgent care, and remained ill for an extended period.
Says Marler,
“This is the first case, and it will not be the last. We filed today to do two things: find out exactly where this parasite came from — which farm, which field, which supplier — and force the changes that keep it from landing on someone’s plate again next summer, and the summer after that…
Cyclospora is badly undercounted. The CDC says so itself, and you cannot prevent what you refuse to count.”
The outbreak has now exceeded 5,000 cases in Michigan, marking one of the largest in US history, with investigators tracing it to Taylor Farms de Mexico, which voluntarily removed all iceberg lettuce from central Mexico.
Taylor Fresh Foods says,
“Based on information provided yesterday by the FDA, Taylor Farms de Mexico is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the US market…
As a family owned and operated company, we are deeply concerned for those who became ill, their families, and the many Americans whose trust in the safety of their fresh produce has been shaken.”
The suit also names unidentified growers and suppliers as defendants while urging others affected to get diagnosed, save receipts and track symptoms.
The outbreak has spread to at least 34 states across the US, with Michigan bearing the brunt at over 5,000 cases, while thousands more have been reported in states including Ohio, New York, Illinois, Kentucky and West Virginia.
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