--- title: "Taco Bells Makes Urgent Changes After Outbreak of Explosive Diarrhea" description: "Taco Bell made some swift changes to the ingredients it offers amid an outbreak of explosive diarrhea tearing across the country." date: "2026-07-10" modified: "2026-07-10" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/health-medicine/taco-bells-explosive-diarrhea" categories: - "Health & Medicine" - "Medical" - "Parasites" - "Pathogens" --- # Taco Bells Makes Urgent Changes After Outbreak of Explosive Diarrhea ![A composite photo illustration featuring a bag of Taco Bell in the foreground while a man holding a roll of toilet paper clutches his stomach in pain in the background.]() *Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Shutterstock* As an explosive diarrhea outbreak splatters across the country, Taco Bell is preparing for the worst. This week, the fast food chain — or at least its locations in Michigan — began temporarily pulling some of its staple ingredients to help stop the spread of *cyclosporiasis*, a foodborne parasite that causes sufferers to go running to the toilet even more often than a standard Taco Bell meal might. Many of your favorite menu items, like the Crunchwrap Supreme and the Cantina Chicken bowl, may be imperiled. "We are currently unable to sell Lettuce, Cilantro Onion, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole due to a nationwide recall," a notice posted at locations in Metro Detroit reads, Michigan outlet *WWJ* [reported](). "Any items ordered that normally come with these items WILL NOT contain them," it stressed. It doesn't sound like any cases of *cyclosporiasis*-related explosive diarrhea have been linked to Taco Bell yet, so the fast food chain is probably just trying to err on the side of caution. So far, nearly 3,000 people have been infected with the foodborne parasite, with around 86 hospitalized, [*NBC News* reported](), citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Michigan appears to be one of the epicenters, [accounting for over half the reported cases so far](). *Cyclosporiasis* symptoms are pretty gnarly, but usually not life threatening. It can cause stomach cramps and a lengthy bout of explosive diarrhea. The intensifier is warranted: one sufferer [who spoke to the *New York Post*]() was in awe of the "amount of pressure when it comes out," adding that the "force is crazy." No food items have been recalled yet related to the outbreak. The virus is usually found on fresh produce, but we don't know what specific food items are spreading it or the supplier they come from. *Cyclosporiasis* is notoriously hard to track because the symptoms usually don't present until at least a week after the contaminated food is ingested. They may not all come from the same source, the CDC cautioned, and what we're seeing could be a cluster of unrelated outbreaks. To protect yourself, the best thing to do is thoroughly wash and cook your veggies, which you should still eat. And maybe skip on the fast food. **More on Taco Bell:** [*Taco Bell’s Attempt to Replace Drive-Thru Employees With AI Is Not Going Well*]() ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()