Taco Bell removes lettuce from menu in US after links to explosive diarrhoea

US fast-food chain Taco Bell is removing lettuce from its menu in some states after investigations found it could be linked to an outbreak of explosive diarrhoea caused by a parasite.The decision was taken "out of an abundance of caution" following discussions with health officials, Taco Bell told the BBC.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 1,645 people in five states that reported "exposure" to Taco Bell have been infected by cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection that spreads through contaminated food or water."Do not eat food items with shredded iceberg lettuce from Mexico served at Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia," the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said.No deaths have been reported but 94 people have been hospitalised due to cyclosporiasis infections, which were first detected on 13 May, the FDA added.The company said lettuce from one of its suppliers is being removed indefinitely and will be replaced."While no official advisory has been issued, we believe public health is a shared responsibility among restaurants, their suppliers, and authorities," the restaurant said.It did not identify in which states lettuce will be removed from menus, but most of the infections have been reported in Michigan where more than 3,300 cases have been detected.