Taco Bell faces first lawsuits over diarrhea-causing contaminated lettuce

An Ohio man and a Michigan couple who recently ate at Taco Bell are among the first victims to sue over the cyclospora outbreak that has sickened thousands and caused explosive diarrhea. The Ohio man allegedly got sick after three June meals at the eatery, while the Michiganders said they became ill the same month from lettuce at the fast food joint – the ingredient blamed for about 90% of cases of Michigan Taco Bell customers getting sick, according to the Food and FDA.

Mohammed Ayyad, a regular customer at a Taco Bell in North Olmsted, Ohio, said his troubles began with orders of Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes and Avocado Ranch Chicken Stackers he scarfed down over three visits in mid-June. Days later, he developed a “severe” headache, chills, vomiting and persistent diarrhea that became so debilitating, he was unable to sleep, according to a complaint filed Thursday in Ohio federal court. Nine days after his symptoms began, Ayyad sought treatment at an urgent care clinic, where he was prescribed Imodium instead of antibiotics, the lawsuit alleges. By July 9, a stool test confirmed he had contracted the parasite. Ayyad missed two weeks of work, lost income and continues to suffer nausea and other symptoms, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit names Vancouver, Wash.-based franchisee Pacific Bells LLC, which operates roughly 300 Taco Bell restaurants , as the defendant. Ayyad’s attorney Bill Marler told The Post he plans to amend the complaint to add Salinas, Calif.-based Taylor Farms, identified by the Washington Post as the provider of the contaminated produce. More cases are in the works, he indicated.

“We have been contacted by more than 30 people and 90% of them ate at Taco Bell,” Marler told The Post. In a separate lawsuit filed Friday in Michigan federal court, Preston and Marie Parrish alleged they contracted cyclosporiasis after eating at a Taco Bell in Durand, Mich., on June 30. Their complaint names Taco Bell Corp., Taco Bell of America and Taylor Farms as defendants.

The lawsuit alleges the couple consumed lettuce with fecal contamination. Both suits are seeking unspecified damages. Taco Bell declined to discuss the lawsuits. The Post has sought comment about the suits from Taylor Farms. While it’s pulling iceberg lettuce from Mexico, it wrote on social media that its branded salads and kits are not associated with the outbreak.

The lawsuits came as Taco Bell said it was voluntarily removing “potentially impacted lettuce from a supplier in select states.” Taylor Farms said it was recalling iceberg lettuce sourced from Mexico based on information the FDA’s provided. Some 1,645 lab-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported in 34 states since May 1, with Michigan hit the hardest, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Along with it and Ohio, the CDC has urged customers to avoid lettuce at Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia Taco Bells in particular. At least 141 people have been hospitalized, with no deaths reported, authorities said. The number of confirmed cases is expected to rise, with the feds saying they are reviewing over 5,100 additional reports to determine whether they are cyclosporiasis. New York State saw 511 cyclosporiasis cases between May 1 and July 10, according to local health officials.