Boone County up to 21 cases of cyclosporiasis; Taylor Farms pulls lettuce from central Mexico

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Boone County saw its diagnosed cases of cyclosporiasis increase to 21 on Friday, according to the county’s health department.

Cases in the county increased from nine to 13 between Wednesday and Thursday. The Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services stated earlier this week that it was investigating if local cases were connected with the nationwide outbreak. Multiple hospitalizations have been reported.

The infections in the outbreak were linked to shredded iceberg lettuce used at Taco Bell in at least five states, which includes Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia, according to the CDC.

Taylor Farms, Taco Bell’s lettuce provider, announced on its social media on Friday afternoon that it was pulling iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico. The company claims in it statement that its branded salads and kits have not been associated with the outbreak.

“While the FDA traceback is indicating a specific independent farm, which represents less than 1% of the U.S.’s iceberg lettuce supply, as the potential source of the outbreak, we have removed all iceberg lettuce from the region indefinitely,” the release says.

ABC 17 News contacted Cameron Dunafon, who owns a number of Taco Bell locations in Columbia and Mid-Missouri. Dunafon deferred ABC 17 News to Taco Bell’s corporate media relations.

“Based on ongoing conversations with public health officials, and out of an abundance of caution, Taco Bell has taken immediate action to voluntarily remove potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states,” Taco Bell announced in a Thursday statement on its website. “The affected ingredient from our supplier is being indefinitely removed from our supply chain nationwide and will be replaced within 24 hours in select states.

ABC 17 News has reached out to multiple chain grocery stores on Friday. As of 3 p.m., the only chain that replied back was Hy-Vee, which stated its lettuce is sourced from Dole and is not affected by the outbreak.