Cyclospora outbreak leaves consumers guessing which foods are safe

Consumers worried about a growing outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a diarrheal illness caused by the cyclospora parasite, are turning to social media for advice on what foods to avoid as public health officials have yet to identify the source.

The illness can cause long-lasting bouts of explosive diarrhea leading to severe dehydration, particularly in young children, older adults and people who are immunocompromised. Public health experts say it is difficult to dispense safety advice because key details about the outbreak remain unknown, leaving the public largely flying blind when it comes to appropriate health precautions.

"This isn't a problem consumers can solve," said Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News medical correspondent and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News. "We basically have to revert to what you'd tell someone traveling to a developing country: Don't eat fresh produce that isn't cooked and can't be peeled."

The lack of definitive information has fueled widespread speculation online, with some social media users naming specific grocery stores, restaurants or food producers they believe are responsible for the outbreak.

"Anyone who is sick with cyclospora, what state are you in and have you narrowed down what you ate that may have caused it?" one social media user wrote in a post that received more than 1,300 responses.

Gounder said the absence of an official recall or confirmed source has created fertile ground for online speculation, adding that she cautions against drawing such conclusions before investigators identify the source.

"No recall has been issued for this outbreak," Gounder added. "And a lot of the viral content treats this as gross-out material, explosive diarrhea, played for shock value."

On July 13, the state of Michigan, with some 2,600 cases, issued some guidance, saying that "current results point to lettuce or salad greens as a potential source for this outbreak, although other food items cannot be completely ruled out." The statement didn't point to any specific producer or retailer, but urged consumers to purchase whole heads of lettuce rather than pre-washed bags of greens.

On Tuesday, Taco Bell told CBS News that it has "voluntarily and temporarily removed limited ingredients at select restaurants as a precautionary measure." Federal and local health officials are investigating whether illnesses reported by some customers are connected to the broader outbreak, the Washington Post reported Tuesday.

Taco Bell told CBS News that public health officials haven't confirmed a link to its restaurants or any spe