#explosive diarrhea

[animentality]

[saywhat-politics]

Taco Bell now under investigation over outbreak of parasite that causes ‘explosive diarrhea,’ report says

Brendan Rascius

Updated Tue, July 14, 2026 at 6:30 AM MST

Taco Bell may be entangled in a widening outbreak of a parasitic gastrointestinal illness linked to contaminated produce, according to a new report.

State and federal investigators are probing the fast-food chain's possible connection to cyclosporiasis, an illness known to cause "explosive diarrhea," sources told The Washington Post.

Signs posted at several Taco Bell locations in Michigan last week warned customers that the restaurants were "currently unable to sell Lettuce, Cilantro Onion, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole due to a nationwide recall."

[odinsblog]

The country is in the midst of a nationwide outbreak of explosive diarrhea caused by a parasite the CDC stopped surveilling at the federal level in July 2025.

That's around the same time the Trump administration began haphazardly attacking and defunding federal health and science agencies under the guise of “government efficiency,” with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. separately also pushing out critical federal scientists and researchers.

Prior to that date, a collaborative CDC program called FoodNet helped federal and state regulators track eight foodborne pathogens.

Among them was cyclospora, a heat-loving spherical parasite that's sickened 1,000 people in an ongoing outbreak in Michigan (the state's worst), with similar illnesses cropping up in 28 other states.

In addition to cyclospora, surveillance of campylobacter, listeria, shigella, vibrio and Yersinia was cut. FoodNet now only regularly monitors two diseases: Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli.

A CDC spokesperson at the time downplayed the cuts to NBC and suggested state health departments could pick up the slack.

Colorado, one of the participating states, said that absent funding it would correspondingly cut back its surveillance. The state is now experiencing a cyclospora outbreak of its own.

“I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy,” Reba Pousma, a Denver resident who likely has cyclospora, told CBS. “I'm on day five now of going to the bathroom over 40 times a day, and nothing has been solid.”

Craig Hedberg, PhD, a professor in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences at the

University of Minnesota, disagreed with the CDC's claim that FoodNet was duplicative.

“The disturbing thing about cutting FoodNet funds is that it normalizes the idea that foodborne disease surveillance is expensive and unimportant,” Hedberg told the school's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. “In fact, it is the foundation of our food safety system, and needs further investments, not restrictions.”

In addition to the ongoing cyclospora outbreak, Trump administration cutbacks made under the guise of “government efficiency” also brought back a flesh-eating parasite that favors cattle, accidentally fired scientists managing the bird flu outbreak, accidentally fired the FDA's medical device reviewers, and pulled research funding to protect pregnant women from domestic violence, among other things.

(continue reading)

[bretzkysbs]

[saintpoe]

@whitemistwolf

Cuz he had me by the ass with that pose dawg

[sillywillykarma]

hi there have thsi

[twistedgutsstuff]

Oh my guts are not doing good. I can feel the explosive diarrhea swirling around in my belly… I’m trying to hold it but my belly is cramping and rumbling so bad

Oh no! I'm sorry I missed this

I would love to know how long you held it. How good did it feel to let out? I hope someone was there to take care of that sick belly. How are you feeling now?

[rosewind2007]

Yup: I fucking love the framing:

“CDC Stopped Monitoring Parasite Now Causing Explosive Diarrhea Across The Country”

Link to BlueSky:

Elizabeth Spiers (@espiers.bsky.social)

I love how this makes it seem like they stopped monitoring RFK Jr [contains quote post or other embedded content]

I too love how this makes it seem like they stopped monitoring RFK Jr…