July 19, 2026 • 18 mins
Just because health officials have identified one link between the Cyclospora outbreak and lettuce sold to Taco Bell by Taylor Farms, it doesn’t mean you can let your guard down. So far, the CDC has only linked a few thousand cases in 5 states to that specific source, while there are 29 other states with growing numbers of the parasitic infection. We go over the latest information, and the foods you still need to either avoid, wash or throw out for the remainder of the summer.
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hey, folks, it is Sunday, July nineteenth, and you are
not in the clear.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Just because you don't eat at Taco Bell.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ.
Let's try to clear some of this up roads. People
have heard only five states where Taco Bell was serving
this lettuce.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
I'm not in one of those states. I don't eat it.
Taco Bell. All good.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Yeah, it's a little confusing because we heard so much
about finding the source. Yes, they have finally figured out
that there is a specific distributor, a specific farm tailor
Farms is the name, and we're hearing that, Yes, the
lettuce that Taylor Farm sold to Taco Bell in five
states is responsible for the cyclist for a outbreak, or
(00:49):
at least part of the cyclist for a outbreak.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
Because think about it, five states.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
The CDC has only linked sixteen hundred or so cases
of the illness and ninety four hospitalizations in five states
to the Taco Bell lettuce. That leaves twenty nine other
states and thousands and thousands of other cases unidentified.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
In terms of the source.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
What are we saying is, don't relax, folks, because it
does rope. We first of all you tell me it's
a Taco Bell, I think I'm good. I haven't eaten
a Taco Bell in many, many, many many years. I
don't live in one of those states, so I should
be good to go. I can go up at Parsley,
give me some soapeas over here. Let me give me
some asperical whatever I want. That is not the case.
This was important to jump on this morning and try
(01:34):
to clear a little bit this up. But the bottom
line is robes everybody at this point. Shouldn't we argue
that the entire country it needs to be diligent for
a little while, maybe through the summer.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
There even act absolutely so.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
I mentioned that Taylor Farms and so yes, they were
able to link that lettuce sold to Taco Bell in
five states, But the company itself has announced that it
is recalling shredded iceberg lettuce products from twenty seven states,
including Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, and Texas.
And get this, they're also looking at salad mixes and
(02:09):
blends that were marketed under several brand codes. So it's
like very unclear right now which salad, which mixes, which
bags and some of the products were distributed as recently
as Thursday, so we're here in Sunday and had sell
by dates through August third.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
So this is incredibly confusing.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Do you hear that?
Speaker 4 (02:31):
Overwhelming?
Speaker 2 (02:32):
OK?
Speaker 1 (02:33):
I don't know how this happen. I know they're doing
the best they can. Nobody wants anybody to get sick.
But Robes, who've been dealing with this for a few
weeks now, cy close spora from this company. In Robes,
you're telling me, as of a few days ago they
sent stuff out correct that we weren't sure was safe
or not. The stuff is going continuing at least of
a few days ago to go back into the market.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Absolutely, And just for some perspective here, Taylor Farms is
one of the largest producers in this country are fresh
vegetables and fruits, and their products are sold in tons
of US supermarkets. We're talking Safeway, Whole Foods, Target, Walmart.
I would be willing to bet where you buy your groceries,
(03:17):
you will see tailor farm's products. And so that is
where it is very overwhelming to know what to buy,
what to throw out, what to thoroughly wash, what to avoid. Altogether,
this is deeply confusing because it has been made clear
that it's still unclear how the affected lettuce has actually
(03:38):
been distributed, labeled, and where it was sold.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
So that's the thing, Roobs.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
If you see a bag, obviously, if you're in a
store and you see tailor farms, you're gonna avoid that bag.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Probably you are.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
But they provide all of this stuff to so many
different companies that it gets labeled in so many different
ways and ropes. I didn't realize it goes into this
grocery store or that gross They don't know where the
stuff is. They don't know if it is particularly in
that grocery store, if that's the stuff or not.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
And how many This is.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Massive, and we're sitting at a point where ites just
one state, Michigan. We'll get into their numbers, but one
state at this point. And what a way, in July,
halfway through the year, has double the amount of cases
that the country season a year. Damn near Certainly Michigan
is going to blow there by the time we get
new numbers tomorrow. Yes, oh my goodness.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
So the State of Michigan has been updating Monday through
Friday every day their official cyclist spora count. And by
the way, these numbers are wildly low because not everybody
goes to the hospital, not everybody goes to their doctor.
A lot of people just sit it out, wait it
out at home and get through it, and no one
(04:52):
they're not counted in these numbers. But as of Friday,
that was the last update, Michigan alone had five thousand
two cases and one hundred and two hospitalizations. Again as
of Friday. Tomorrow, we're going to probably see a big
jump because we'll get the weekend numbers. And yes, officials
say they do expect them to continue to rise. And
(05:13):
I don't think we've said this. This is officially the
largest cyclospora outbreak in US history.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
What did you I can't remember. What did your dad say?
Speaker 1 (05:23):
The microbiologists, he's microroologists, he's spent his entire career in
food safety doing this particular thing.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
What did he say? Their assumption is on something.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
Like this the two to three times.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
So if we say five thousand cases for microbiologists who's
looking into this, they think it's at least double that
or triple that.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
It could be ten to fifteen thousand cases right now
as of July, and look the nationwide number right now,
they're saying is around seven thousand. So look, we're looking
at possibly twenty thousand cases or more in this country
across thirty four states.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
So yes, well, I will tell you this.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Last night we had romaine lettuce for the first time
in days.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
We love salad.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
We have salad, I would say almost every meal, maybe
with the exception of breakfast. But we are big salad folks,
and we have been nervous. Now I had romain lettuce.
I bought the whole head like my dad, the microbiologist suggested,
took off the outer layers. You saw me do that,
and then thoroughly rinse and wash the lettuce before I
chopped it up.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
But I have to say, I'm feeling okay. But that's
the problem.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
It takes two days to two weeks before you actually
realize that you were infected with this parasite. And yeah,
after that, it could take up to a month for
it to go away on its own. So yes, it
is recommended you go see your doctor, you get antibiotics,
and you get help. And the good news is you're
almost certainly not gonna die, especially if you are not
in a vulnerable part of community where you have a
(06:55):
compromise immune system. If you're not in a vulnerable community,
but you're gonna want to die, that's what they say.
And who has time to sit there and let this
parasite pass through you? That is it is so disruptive,
to say the least, and wildly uncomfortable.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
So yeah, none of us want this.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
All of us want to avoid this, and it's hard
to do that with all of this vague information.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
I mean it's vague, you know what it's.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
This is one of those things, Robes, And I'll go
back to Governor Cuomo. I'll go back to Anthony Fauci.
When things like this happen, we need one voice giving
clear information and updates every day. I know this isn't
a deadly disease that's spreading like it was COVID, but robes.
When the CDC's numbers lag so far behind what Michigan
is putting out.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
CDC is telling us officially they're.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Less than two thousand cases that they know of, and
Michigan's out here blowing that out the water. They're just behind,
and they're reporting that is confusing Robes. They I wish
there was more coordinated effort to get everybody on the
same page. I know nobody's dying from this, but everybody's
concerned about this, and everybody's consuming.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
Let us every damn And look, we're out of a
place where we have farm stands everywhere, and I am
so wanting and we've we've been getting some and washing it.
But you have this feeling of dread. Do I need
to should? I? It's so awesome. There's nothing better in
this summer than to eat fresh fruit and fresh vegetables.
But to think that what you think is good for
(08:19):
you and tastes so good, it is so healthy, could
actually be putting a parasite and you is disturbing you.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Remember where it was COVID right when you gotta This
reminds me of COVID.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Bro, You absolutely understand this.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
If you've got a positive COVID test, you just sat
around waiting to see how sick.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Yeah, it's terrible.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Now you have a salad. Now you're sitting around for
a couple of days.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Is it worth it? Is it worth it?
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Even if you feel a little gassy? Oh?
Speaker 4 (08:43):
Is that it is? That?
Speaker 2 (08:44):
The one?
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Do I have? The cyclostpora?
Speaker 2 (08:45):
That's what people are waiting around to see if they're gonna.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Get sick, and look, I think this is a really
important note. Some of the people who have become illin Michigan. Yes,
some of them have reported eating at restaurants, some have
reported eating at fast food chains, but not everybody reported
eating out. A lot of folks who have been sick
in Michigan have clearly stated in the last two weeks
they have not eaten out. So clearly it's not just
(09:09):
the lettuce that was sold to Taco Bell. Clearly the
lettuce or whatever product that infected them was sold to
grocery stores or at least farm stands or something. And
that is why you see Taylor Farms going ahead and
taking out this massive recall where they're trying to take
out all Iceberg lettuce. And the good news is we
don't really eat Iceberg that much. But honestly, would you
(09:32):
pick up a head of Iceberg lettuce right now that
I wouldn't nowhere.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
I mean, I have told you we were in a
store the other day. You were trying to make some
dish with let us said, Babe, I'm going to pass
on that you did. I just don't want at this point,
I don't feel caesar salad.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
How do you feel?
Speaker 2 (09:46):
I didn't have that much.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
I know you usually will sit there and eat the
whole thing. I saw you not eating as much. Now, Look,
I've seen so many different recommendations there. I saw a
microbiologists and the New York Times say yeah, I'm just
gonna go ahead and avoid it all right now because
I don't have time to have explosive diarrhea in my
life right now. So yes, some people are all together
(10:10):
avoiding lettuce and salad mixes, raspberries, basil, cilantro, fruit mixes,
snow peas, and snappeas. And that's we list those exact
items because those are known culprits for carrying cyclist sporests.
I don't, that's what it just says, so fresh fruit mixes.
So I just think anything that can't be peeled, you're
(10:31):
taking a little bit of a risk. And look, and
other people say, look, if you wash it thoroughly and
you rinse it thoroughly, you will be able to get
enough of it off that you won't have that even
even if you were to ingest some of it, it
would be so minimized that it wouldn't cause that much disruption.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
So look, that's what I've been doing.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
I've been just rinsing and washing, and look, I haven't
bought raspberries.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
I love basil. We had some cilantro, so you can
like cilantro is gritty.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
You can see sometimes that it has some like dirt
and grit in that you really have to wash that
stuff pretty thoroughly. So there you did cook it. So, yes,
that is the deal if you want any of these things.
Not that you can really cook raspberries. I guess you
could into like a jam. But public health departments say, hey,
if you are concerned, just go ahead and cook some
of these higher risk produce that I just listed, and
(11:24):
you have to cook it to at least one hundred
and fifty eight degrees and then you'll be over.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Supposed to do that. We give this advice to people
all the time. What does that mean, really, baby? What
does that mean?
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (11:35):
I don't know. I guess you'd have to just how.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Am I supposed to cook a raspberry?
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Oil?
Speaker 4 (11:39):
It'll be okay? Oil it, Yes, it is.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Those are the recommendations by everyone, and it looks like
by the way, we are going to be in the
thick of it and under these types of warnings through
August when we come back.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
We're going to give you some perspective.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
We said that, yes, this is now officially the largest
cyclostpor outbreak in the United States. But wait until you
hear just how much we have blown previous records out
of the water. Welcome back, every one to this episode
(12:18):
of Amy and TJ. We're trying to give you the
very latest and greatest information because the big question for
everybody this weekend in the coming days.
Speaker 4 (12:27):
We're in the middle of summer.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Everybody's barbecuing and they're putting together wonderful, fresh produce laden meals,
and now we all have to worry about explosive diarrhea
by eating healthy.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
And look, is this the first.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Time we've made that reference in this episode explosive diarrhea?
Speaker 4 (12:43):
I think I might have said it one other time.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Okay, because that's everybody's just running with that headline. We understand,
and it is literally what it is, but it's people
have been having a little too much fun with that headline.
Probably it's not funny to anybody who's going through it now, certainly,
and road it's not just a matter of the I
guess a little embarrassment and discomfort in being on the
toilet broll.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
They say, it comes. It's pretty bad cramping.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
Yes, I mean, if any but I haven't had cyclist spora,
but I had salmonella, and I will tell you I
actually likened it to giving birth to a child. Like
that's how horrific the cramps were. You feel like you
want to die. It is awful. And yes, so we
are all trying to avoid becoming one of the growing
number of people in this country who are unfortunately experiencing this. Look,
(13:26):
they're telling us seven thousand, but it likely might be
as high as twenty thousand. And just for some perspective here,
since twenty sixteen, the CDC has reported an average guess
how many cases for an entire calendar year. What's the
average in the United States? Twenty eight hundred. So and look,
Michigan usually has forty to fifty cases a year. They're
(13:47):
at five thousand accounting. Expect those numbers to go way
up by Monday. But the last time we had an outbreak,
the biggest outbreak in recent decades, Wow, we have blown
it out of the water. As I said, when we
went to break that was back in twenty twenty. That
was a hell of a year. Apparently.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
Yes, I couldn't believe it. Really, we were dealing with
COVID and cyclospora.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Those two things had to be connected in some way.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
But the largest outbreak in recent decades happened in twenty
twenty and it sickened seven hundred and one people across
fourteen states. That is, I mean, we are already ten
times that and more. I mean we have That's not
a record you want to beat, but we certainly have.
(14:33):
We and it's still counting because this is far from over,
you know.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
And it's wilder to hear that the state of Michigan,
the most they get on average is fifty and we're
sitting at five thousand. This in Taylor Farms. There are
some measures that this is perhaps the largest producer we
have in the country of it is produced. Yes, it
is massive. They do billions in revenue every year.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Robes.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
This stuff is everywhere, and do I right as well.
They're only connecting it right now to the Mexico plant.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Correct, So this Tailor Farms is based out of California,
but they do have a plant in Mexico and that
is where they are linking this particular outbreak that went
to Taco Bell. That's the problem. This is one part
of the outbreak. They don't know. They don't know if
Taylor Farms is responsible for all of the outbreak or
(15:24):
just some of the outbreak, or just what we're seeing
at Taco Bell restaurants, or is it what we're seeing
in grocery stores or in other restaurants.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
They haven't linked it to anything else, right.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
All they've specifically linked it to is five states. Thirty
four states are currently experiencing increased levels of cyclosports. So
that doesn't explain all of the other cases.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Hey, but five states, and even more particular, five taco
just Taco bells in those five states, correct roads.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
They got to.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
Track this down and they are working, they say, around
the clock to try and do so. But this is
incredibly difficult because you have to rely on people's memories
about what they ate, where they ate it, when they
ate it, and then link it back to a common thread.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
And this is not easy stuff. But I saw the perspective.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
Another microbarologist said, for an outbreak to sicken thousands like
this has, and again the perspective is astronomical, just about
how much worse this one is?
Speaker 4 (16:21):
They said, we are.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Talking about a significant amount of contaminated fecal matter, and
it's like nothing they have ever seen before.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
So this is just astronomical in scope. You would have
had to have been right water that was used to
rough and then it could have gotten on people's hands.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
So we're handling food and produce, and then it just
keeps spreading from there to there. And imagine if you
touch one contaminated amount of produce, then you touch another
and you're transferring it. A lot of these workers they yes,
they wear gloves. Sometimes that's even worse because they're not
washing their hands as often because they're protecting themselves from it.
But now you've got this contamn dominated fecal whatever on
(17:01):
your hands, and you're touching this, and you're touching this,
and you're touching and you're not necessarily switching gloves.
Speaker 4 (17:06):
So it's just what they're having to do to try.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
And track down how far this spread and if this
is just all coming from one Mexican farm that somehow
spread all across the United States.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Is it possible, robes that every single one of these
states it's still linked to taco bells?
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Probably not?
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Probably, no, no, And they are not saying that, and
so it might just be it's more it's more likely
that it's linked back to Taylor Farms and the spread
and the scope they have in this country with the
grocery stores. It's just to have to try to track
this all down. Honestly, We're not buying iceberg lettuce anytime soon.
I'm probably staying away from raspberries. I love basil, but
(17:47):
it ain't worth it basil and we can cook the
cilantro and I just washed the hell out of the romain.
I'm not buying bag lettuce mixes. There's just too many
things that could just get in there. I feel like
the best way, and we heard this directly from my father,
that you just get something that's a whole head, you
take out the outer layers and you wash the hell
out of it before.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
You eat it.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Or you get peelable fruit ye and take off the
outside layer exactly. Or you just go with the carnivore diet,
which is what I am going to stick with through
the summer. Might make for some uncomfortable toilet moments as well.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
Apparently I was gonna say, you get up other problems
with that decision. But to each their own, but we'll
continue to stay on top of this. Again, new numbers
expected out tomorrow. You can certainly check in with us
because we will absolutely keep you updated on something that
everyone is concerned about this summer, but without everyone, we
always appreciate you listening to us.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
I'm Amy Roboch alongside TJ. Holmes. We'll talk to you
so
Hey, folks, it is Sunday, July nineteenth, and you are
not in the clear.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Just because you don't eat at Taco Bell.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ.
Let's try to clear some of this up roads. People
have heard only five states where Taco Bell was serving
this lettuce.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
I'm not in one of those states. I don't eat it.
Taco Bell. All good.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Yeah, it's a little confusing because we heard so much
about finding the source. Yes, they have finally figured out
that there is a specific distributor, a specific farm tailor
Farms is the name, and we're hearing that, Yes, the
lettuce that Taylor Farm sold to Taco Bell in five
states is responsible for the cyclist for a outbreak, or
(00:49):
at least part of the cyclist for a outbreak.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
Because think about it, five states.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
The CDC has only linked sixteen hundred or so cases
of the illness and ninety four hospitalizations in five states
to the Taco Bell lettuce. That leaves twenty nine other
states and thousands and thousands of other cases unidentified.
Speaker 4 (01:12):
In terms of the source.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
What are we saying is, don't relax, folks, because it
does rope. We first of all you tell me it's
a Taco Bell, I think I'm good. I haven't eaten
a Taco Bell in many, many, many many years. I
don't live in one of those states, so I should
be good to go. I can go up at Parsley,
give me some soapeas over here. Let me give me
some asperical whatever I want. That is not the case.
This was important to jump on this morning and try
(01:34):
to clear a little bit this up. But the bottom
line is robes everybody at this point. Shouldn't we argue
that the entire country it needs to be diligent for
a little while, maybe through the summer.
Speaker 4 (01:44):
There even act absolutely so.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
I mentioned that Taylor Farms and so yes, they were
able to link that lettuce sold to Taco Bell in
five states, But the company itself has announced that it
is recalling shredded iceberg lettuce products from twenty seven states,
including Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, and Texas.
And get this, they're also looking at salad mixes and
(02:09):
blends that were marketed under several brand codes. So it's
like very unclear right now which salad, which mixes, which
bags and some of the products were distributed as recently
as Thursday, so we're here in Sunday and had sell
by dates through August third.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
So this is incredibly confusing.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Do you hear that?
Speaker 4 (02:31):
Overwhelming?
Speaker 2 (02:32):
OK?
Speaker 1 (02:33):
I don't know how this happen. I know they're doing
the best they can. Nobody wants anybody to get sick.
But Robes, who've been dealing with this for a few
weeks now, cy close spora from this company. In Robes,
you're telling me, as of a few days ago they
sent stuff out correct that we weren't sure was safe
or not. The stuff is going continuing at least of
a few days ago to go back into the market.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Absolutely, And just for some perspective here, Taylor Farms is
one of the largest producers in this country are fresh
vegetables and fruits, and their products are sold in tons
of US supermarkets. We're talking Safeway, Whole Foods, Target, Walmart.
I would be willing to bet where you buy your groceries,
(03:17):
you will see tailor farm's products. And so that is
where it is very overwhelming to know what to buy,
what to throw out, what to thoroughly wash, what to avoid. Altogether,
this is deeply confusing because it has been made clear
that it's still unclear how the affected lettuce has actually
(03:38):
been distributed, labeled, and where it was sold.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
So that's the thing, Roobs.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
If you see a bag, obviously, if you're in a
store and you see tailor farms, you're gonna avoid that bag.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Probably you are.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
But they provide all of this stuff to so many
different companies that it gets labeled in so many different
ways and ropes. I didn't realize it goes into this
grocery store or that gross They don't know where the
stuff is. They don't know if it is particularly in
that grocery store, if that's the stuff or not.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
And how many This is.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Massive, and we're sitting at a point where ites just
one state, Michigan. We'll get into their numbers, but one
state at this point. And what a way, in July,
halfway through the year, has double the amount of cases
that the country season a year. Damn near Certainly Michigan
is going to blow there by the time we get
new numbers tomorrow. Yes, oh my goodness.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
So the State of Michigan has been updating Monday through
Friday every day their official cyclist spora count. And by
the way, these numbers are wildly low because not everybody
goes to the hospital, not everybody goes to their doctor.
A lot of people just sit it out, wait it
out at home and get through it, and no one
(04:52):
they're not counted in these numbers. But as of Friday,
that was the last update, Michigan alone had five thousand
two cases and one hundred and two hospitalizations. Again as
of Friday. Tomorrow, we're going to probably see a big
jump because we'll get the weekend numbers. And yes, officials
say they do expect them to continue to rise. And
(05:13):
I don't think we've said this. This is officially the
largest cyclospora outbreak in US history.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
What did you I can't remember. What did your dad say?
Speaker 1 (05:23):
The microbiologists, he's microroologists, he's spent his entire career in
food safety doing this particular thing.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
What did he say? Their assumption is on something.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
Like this the two to three times.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
So if we say five thousand cases for microbiologists who's
looking into this, they think it's at least double that
or triple that.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
It could be ten to fifteen thousand cases right now
as of July, and look the nationwide number right now,
they're saying is around seven thousand. So look, we're looking
at possibly twenty thousand cases or more in this country
across thirty four states.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
So yes, well, I will tell you this.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Last night we had romaine lettuce for the first time
in days.
Speaker 4 (06:06):
We love salad.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
We have salad, I would say almost every meal, maybe
with the exception of breakfast. But we are big salad folks,
and we have been nervous. Now I had romain lettuce.
I bought the whole head like my dad, the microbiologist suggested,
took off the outer layers. You saw me do that,
and then thoroughly rinse and wash the lettuce before I
chopped it up.
Speaker 4 (06:28):
But I have to say, I'm feeling okay. But that's
the problem.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
It takes two days to two weeks before you actually
realize that you were infected with this parasite. And yeah,
after that, it could take up to a month for
it to go away on its own. So yes, it
is recommended you go see your doctor, you get antibiotics,
and you get help. And the good news is you're
almost certainly not gonna die, especially if you are not
in a vulnerable part of community where you have a
(06:55):
compromise immune system. If you're not in a vulnerable community,
but you're gonna want to die, that's what they say.
And who has time to sit there and let this
parasite pass through you? That is it is so disruptive,
to say the least, and wildly uncomfortable.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
So yeah, none of us want this.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
All of us want to avoid this, and it's hard
to do that with all of this vague information.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
I mean it's vague, you know what it's.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
This is one of those things, Robes, And I'll go
back to Governor Cuomo. I'll go back to Anthony Fauci.
When things like this happen, we need one voice giving
clear information and updates every day. I know this isn't
a deadly disease that's spreading like it was COVID, but robes.
When the CDC's numbers lag so far behind what Michigan
is putting out.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
CDC is telling us officially they're.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Less than two thousand cases that they know of, and
Michigan's out here blowing that out the water. They're just behind,
and they're reporting that is confusing Robes. They I wish
there was more coordinated effort to get everybody on the
same page. I know nobody's dying from this, but everybody's
concerned about this, and everybody's consuming.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
Let us every damn And look, we're out of a
place where we have farm stands everywhere, and I am
so wanting and we've we've been getting some and washing it.
But you have this feeling of dread. Do I need
to should? I? It's so awesome. There's nothing better in
this summer than to eat fresh fruit and fresh vegetables.
But to think that what you think is good for
(08:19):
you and tastes so good, it is so healthy, could
actually be putting a parasite and you is disturbing you.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
Remember where it was COVID right when you gotta This
reminds me of COVID.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Bro, You absolutely understand this.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
If you've got a positive COVID test, you just sat
around waiting to see how sick.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Yeah, it's terrible.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Now you have a salad. Now you're sitting around for
a couple of days.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
Is it worth it? Is it worth it?
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Even if you feel a little gassy? Oh?
Speaker 4 (08:43):
Is that it is? That?
Speaker 2 (08:44):
The one?
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Do I have? The cyclostpora?
Speaker 2 (08:45):
That's what people are waiting around to see if they're gonna.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
Get sick, and look, I think this is a really
important note. Some of the people who have become illin Michigan. Yes,
some of them have reported eating at restaurants, some have
reported eating at fast food chains, but not everybody reported
eating out. A lot of folks who have been sick
in Michigan have clearly stated in the last two weeks
they have not eaten out. So clearly it's not just
(09:09):
the lettuce that was sold to Taco Bell. Clearly the
lettuce or whatever product that infected them was sold to
grocery stores or at least farm stands or something. And
that is why you see Taylor Farms going ahead and
taking out this massive recall where they're trying to take
out all Iceberg lettuce. And the good news is we
don't really eat Iceberg that much. But honestly, would you
(09:32):
pick up a head of Iceberg lettuce right now that
I wouldn't nowhere.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
I mean, I have told you we were in a
store the other day. You were trying to make some
dish with let us said, Babe, I'm going to pass
on that you did. I just don't want at this point,
I don't feel caesar salad.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
How do you feel?
Speaker 2 (09:46):
I didn't have that much.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
I know you usually will sit there and eat the
whole thing. I saw you not eating as much. Now, Look,
I've seen so many different recommendations there. I saw a
microbiologists and the New York Times say yeah, I'm just
gonna go ahead and avoid it all right now because
I don't have time to have explosive diarrhea in my
life right now. So yes, some people are all together
(10:10):
avoiding lettuce and salad mixes, raspberries, basil, cilantro, fruit mixes,
snow peas, and snappeas. And that's we list those exact
items because those are known culprits for carrying cyclist sporests.
I don't, that's what it just says, so fresh fruit mixes.
So I just think anything that can't be peeled, you're
(10:31):
taking a little bit of a risk. And look, and
other people say, look, if you wash it thoroughly and
you rinse it thoroughly, you will be able to get
enough of it off that you won't have that even
even if you were to ingest some of it, it
would be so minimized that it wouldn't cause that much disruption.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
So look, that's what I've been doing.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
I've been just rinsing and washing, and look, I haven't
bought raspberries.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
I love basil. We had some cilantro, so you can
like cilantro is gritty.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
You can see sometimes that it has some like dirt
and grit in that you really have to wash that
stuff pretty thoroughly. So there you did cook it. So, yes,
that is the deal if you want any of these things.
Not that you can really cook raspberries. I guess you
could into like a jam. But public health departments say, hey,
if you are concerned, just go ahead and cook some
of these higher risk produce that I just listed, and
(11:24):
you have to cook it to at least one hundred
and fifty eight degrees and then you'll be over.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Supposed to do that. We give this advice to people
all the time. What does that mean, really, baby? What
does that mean?
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (11:35):
I don't know. I guess you'd have to just how.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Am I supposed to cook a raspberry?
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Oil?
Speaker 4 (11:39):
It'll be okay? Oil it, Yes, it is.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Those are the recommendations by everyone, and it looks like
by the way, we are going to be in the
thick of it and under these types of warnings through
August when we come back.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
We're going to give you some perspective.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
We said that, yes, this is now officially the largest
cyclostpor outbreak in the United States. But wait until you
hear just how much we have blown previous records out
of the water. Welcome back, every one to this episode
(12:18):
of Amy and TJ. We're trying to give you the
very latest and greatest information because the big question for
everybody this weekend in the coming days.
Speaker 4 (12:27):
We're in the middle of summer.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Everybody's barbecuing and they're putting together wonderful, fresh produce laden meals,
and now we all have to worry about explosive diarrhea
by eating healthy.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
And look, is this the first.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Time we've made that reference in this episode explosive diarrhea?
Speaker 4 (12:43):
I think I might have said it one other time.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Okay, because that's everybody's just running with that headline. We understand,
and it is literally what it is, but it's people
have been having a little too much fun with that headline.
Probably it's not funny to anybody who's going through it now, certainly,
and road it's not just a matter of the I
guess a little embarrassment and discomfort in being on the
toilet broll.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
They say, it comes. It's pretty bad cramping.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
Yes, I mean, if any but I haven't had cyclist spora,
but I had salmonella, and I will tell you I
actually likened it to giving birth to a child. Like
that's how horrific the cramps were. You feel like you
want to die. It is awful. And yes, so we
are all trying to avoid becoming one of the growing
number of people in this country who are unfortunately experiencing this. Look,
(13:26):
they're telling us seven thousand, but it likely might be
as high as twenty thousand. And just for some perspective here,
since twenty sixteen, the CDC has reported an average guess
how many cases for an entire calendar year. What's the
average in the United States? Twenty eight hundred. So and look,
Michigan usually has forty to fifty cases a year. They're
(13:47):
at five thousand accounting. Expect those numbers to go way
up by Monday. But the last time we had an outbreak,
the biggest outbreak in recent decades, Wow, we have blown
it out of the water. As I said, when we
went to break that was back in twenty twenty. That
was a hell of a year. Apparently.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
Yes, I couldn't believe it. Really, we were dealing with
COVID and cyclospora.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Those two things had to be connected in some way.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
But the largest outbreak in recent decades happened in twenty
twenty and it sickened seven hundred and one people across
fourteen states. That is, I mean, we are already ten
times that and more. I mean we have That's not
a record you want to beat, but we certainly have.
(14:33):
We and it's still counting because this is far from over,
you know.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
And it's wilder to hear that the state of Michigan,
the most they get on average is fifty and we're
sitting at five thousand. This in Taylor Farms. There are
some measures that this is perhaps the largest producer we
have in the country of it is produced. Yes, it
is massive. They do billions in revenue every year.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Robes.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
This stuff is everywhere, and do I right as well.
They're only connecting it right now to the Mexico plant.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
Correct, So this Tailor Farms is based out of California,
but they do have a plant in Mexico and that
is where they are linking this particular outbreak that went
to Taco Bell. That's the problem. This is one part
of the outbreak. They don't know. They don't know if
Taylor Farms is responsible for all of the outbreak or
(15:24):
just some of the outbreak, or just what we're seeing
at Taco Bell restaurants, or is it what we're seeing
in grocery stores or in other restaurants.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
They haven't linked it to anything else, right.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
All they've specifically linked it to is five states. Thirty
four states are currently experiencing increased levels of cyclosports. So
that doesn't explain all of the other cases.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Hey, but five states, and even more particular, five taco
just Taco bells in those five states, correct roads.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
They got to.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
Track this down and they are working, they say, around
the clock to try and do so. But this is
incredibly difficult because you have to rely on people's memories
about what they ate, where they ate it, when they
ate it, and then link it back to a common thread.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
And this is not easy stuff. But I saw the perspective.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
Another microbarologist said, for an outbreak to sicken thousands like
this has, and again the perspective is astronomical, just about
how much worse this one is?
Speaker 4 (16:21):
They said, we are.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Talking about a significant amount of contaminated fecal matter, and
it's like nothing they have ever seen before.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
So this is just astronomical in scope. You would have
had to have been right water that was used to
rough and then it could have gotten on people's hands.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
So we're handling food and produce, and then it just
keeps spreading from there to there. And imagine if you
touch one contaminated amount of produce, then you touch another
and you're transferring it. A lot of these workers they yes,
they wear gloves. Sometimes that's even worse because they're not
washing their hands as often because they're protecting themselves from it.
But now you've got this contamn dominated fecal whatever on
(17:01):
your hands, and you're touching this, and you're touching this,
and you're touching and you're not necessarily switching gloves.
Speaker 4 (17:06):
So it's just what they're having to do to try.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
And track down how far this spread and if this
is just all coming from one Mexican farm that somehow
spread all across the United States.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
Is it possible, robes that every single one of these
states it's still linked to taco bells?
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Probably not?
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Probably, no, no, And they are not saying that, and
so it might just be it's more it's more likely
that it's linked back to Taylor Farms and the spread
and the scope they have in this country with the
grocery stores. It's just to have to try to track
this all down. Honestly, We're not buying iceberg lettuce anytime soon.
I'm probably staying away from raspberries. I love basil, but
(17:47):
it ain't worth it basil and we can cook the
cilantro and I just washed the hell out of the romain.
I'm not buying bag lettuce mixes. There's just too many
things that could just get in there. I feel like
the best way, and we heard this directly from my father,
that you just get something that's a whole head, you
take out the outer layers and you wash the hell
out of it before.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
You eat it.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Or you get peelable fruit ye and take off the
outside layer exactly. Or you just go with the carnivore diet,
which is what I am going to stick with through
the summer. Might make for some uncomfortable toilet moments as well.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
Apparently I was gonna say, you get up other problems
with that decision. But to each their own, but we'll
continue to stay on top of this. Again, new numbers
expected out tomorrow. You can certainly check in with us
because we will absolutely keep you updated on something that
everyone is concerned about this summer, but without everyone, we
always appreciate you listening to us.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
I'm Amy Roboch alongside TJ. Holmes. We'll talk to you
so
Hosts And Creators
Amy Robach
T.J. Holmes
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