A Chicago man landed in the hospital after contracting the “explosive diarrhea parasite” cyclosporiasis from a popular Taco Bell menu item – and enduring a week of stomach-churning symptoms before doctors figured out what was wrong.
Alonso Zaragoza, 46, rushed to the emergency room last Wednesday after suffering relentless diarrhea for more than a week, he told NBC Chicago 5.
“It was just every hour and a half going to the washroom,” Zaragoza said. “I don’t think I slept more than an hour and a half continuously in the last week.”
Things took an even more frightening turn when he spotted blood in his stool.
“My family was like, ‘That’s not normal,’” he recalled.
Doctors ran blood and stool tests, hooked Zaragoza up to an IV drip and diagnosed him with cyclosporiasis, a fast-spreading intestinal illness that’s been linked to tainted iceberg lettuce.
Zaragoza frantically retraced his meals to pinpoint where he picked up the parasite.
“I looked through everything; there was nothing that I ate that contained lettuce except for a chalupa from the luxe box at Taco Bell,” he said, referring to the chain eatery’s fan-favorite Chalupa Supreme.
“I looked at the app, I Googled the ingredients – it said iceberg lettuce,” he added.
By Saturday, Zaragoza said he was “probably at like 80%” recovered.
“That’s still better than a lot of people right now,” he added.
Nearly 7,000 people across 34 states have been sickened by the outbreak, which health officials have largely linked to contaminated lettuce produced by Taylor Farms and served at Taco Bell. The epidemic has led to 94 hospitalizations but no deaths, the CDC said Saturday.
The fast-food giant is now facing a growing wave of lawsuits for its alleged role in the terrifying outbreak.
Among the plaintiffs is Mohammed Ayyad, a regular customer at a Taco Bell in North Olmsted, Ohio, who 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 that he was unable to sleep, according to a lawsuit he filed against the eatery in Ohio federal court.
By July 9, a stool test confirmed Ayyad had contracted the parasite. He 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, previously told The Post he plans to amend the complaint to add Salinas, Calif.-based Taylor Farms as the provider of the contaminated produce.
And more cases are in the works, the lawyer noted.
“We have been contacted by more than 30 people – and 90% of them ate at Taco Bell,” Marler said.
Taco Bell said it had “completed removal of affected Taylor Farms lettuce from our restaurants” while the supplier recalled a lengthy list of products, including shredded iceberg lettuce.
Cyclosporiasis is contracted by ingesting a microscopic parasite contaminated with human feces.
It most commonly causes prolonged diarrhea but can also trigger stomach cramps, nausea, fatigue, bloating, weight loss and low-grade fever, according to the CDC.
People with weakened immune systems, the elderly or children can experience more severe illness, the FDA said.
Zaragoza urged others to take extra precautions as the outbreak continues.
“Stay hydrated, be careful [about] where you’re eating, making sure you wash, clean and cook any greens that you’re eating,” he said.
Zaragoza did not immediately respond to messages from The Post.
