An Ohio man claimed in a federal lawsuit that he became ill with cyclosporiasis after eating three times at a Taco Bell restaurant in a suburb southwest of Cleveland.
North Olmsted resident Mohammed R. Ayyad became ill days after multiple visits to a Taco Bell restaurant during which he ate multiple menu items, according to the lawsuit filed July 16 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.
Ayyad visited Taco Bell in North Olmsted twice on June 14 and again on June 21, the lawsuit said.
Ayyad began experiencing initial symptoms on June 23, which is consistent with the incubation period forcyclosporiasis, the lawsuit said. A day later, he began vomiting and had diarrhea. Other symptoms included headache, chills, weakness and sleeplessness.
Ayyad remained ill through July 2 and struggled to tolerate food even after that date, the lawsuit said.
He sought medical care at a Cleveland Clinic urgent care in North Olmsted and was told to take an over-the-counter anti-diarrhea medication. Days later, he provided a stool sample that tested positive for Cyclospora, which confirmed he had cyclosporiasis, the lawsuit said.
After his diagnosis was confirmed, he was prescribed Bactrim, an antibiotic, which he remained on at the time the lawsuit was filed July 16. The lawsuit said he continued to have nausea and a persistent headache, and he missed about two weeks of work due to the infection.
People often struggle for weeks after being stricken with foodborne illness. Ayyad is represented by William Marler, a lawyer specializing in food safety cases.
The lawsuit names as a defendant Pacific Bells LLC, which owned and operated the North Olmsted Taco Bell location. Pacific Bells did not immediately return a voice message and an email from USA TODAY.
On July 16, Taco Bell Corp. announced that it was removing lettuce from an unnamed supplier in some states.
“While no official advisory has been issued, we believe public health is a shared responsibility among restaurants, their suppliers, and authorities, and we are proud to have consistently acted quickly and proactively to protect our guests,” Taco Bell said in the statement. “Taco Bell has taken precautionary action, and we encourage all relevant restaurants, retailers, and foodservice operators to do the same.”