Army vet sues Taco Bell after ‘explosive diarrhea’ parasite lands him in hospital.
A U.S. Army veteran is suing Taco Bell, Taylor Farms and the franchise operator of the restaurant he visited after he says a cyclospora infection left him hospitalized for two days.
David Ott said he ate at Taco Bell twice before he developed excruciating stomach pain, cramping and watery diarrhea. He said he became severely dehydrated before checking into a hospital.
“Just extreme stomach pain, cramping, explosive watery diarrhea. It was pretty rough,” Ott said. “My mouth was dry, I couldn’t keep anything down.”
Cyclospora is spreading. Here’s how to know if you have it
Ott said doctors initially struggled to diagnose him. He said he pieced together what was happening only after receiving a CDC emergency alert referencing the outbreak, despite having had an inflamed colon during a colonoscopy.
“I immediately let my doctors know,” Ott said.
At first, doctors told Ott the state wasn’t seeing cyclospora cases, though he had traveled to Ohio in the days before he got sick.
FDA reverses key finding in lettuce-linked cyclospora outbreak
The lawsuit comes as the FDA walked back an earlier statement that lettuce samples from Taylor Farms tested positive for the parasite. The FDA called it a false positive and said the mistaken result does not change the basis for its ongoing outbreak investigation or the voluntary recall already underway.
Attorney Ron Simon, who represents Ott, said the FDA’s correction does not affect this case.
False positive cyclospora test does not change investigation: FDA
“They’re testing lettuce that is the lettuce produced now, not the lettuce that made people sick a month ago,” Simon said. “In all honesty, it’s kind of just a big nothing burger.”
Hundreds of cyclospora outbreak patients seeking legal action: Attorney
Simon said his firm now represents hundreds of victims, mostly in Ohio and Michigan, and had to bring on extra staff to handle the surge.
