Dr. Drew urges calm as cyclosporiasis concerns hit fast food
Dr. Drew says the cyclosporiasis scare should not send shoppers running from greens, even as the outbreak’s source remains unknown.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
Dr. Drew is telling people to take a breath as cyclosporiasis concerns swirl around fast food, lettuce and one very unpleasant symptom.
TMZ reported that Dr. Drew was stopped in Los Angeles on Wednesday and asked about a surge in cyclosporiasis cases, along with an investigation into possible connections to Taco Bell.
His message, according to TMZ: the reaction is getting bigger than the known facts. Dr. Drew said people should calm down and pointed to figures he said should make the situation feel less alarming, though the report did not publish those numbers.
The outbreak still has one central question hanging over it. TMZ reported that the source has not been identified.
Dr. Drew said that uncertainty is the part of the situation that could reasonably worry people. Even so, he framed the broader public response as overheated, especially around greens.
According to TMZ, Dr. Drew said he is more concerned that fast-food restaurants have started removing lettuce from menu items and that shoppers may be getting scared away from buying greens at grocery stores.
His food-safety advice was blunt: washing is not enough if food is infected. Dr. Drew said affected foods need heat, not just a rinse.
For people worried about greens, TMZ reported that Dr. Drew suggested cooking them, including spinach, rather than treating raw washing as a fix.
The comments come as Taco Bell has been mentioned in connection with the outbreak through an investigation into possible links. TMZ described the connection as possible, not confirmed.
The report also said fast-food chains have been pulling lettuce, though it did not name every chain involved or say whether the removals were tied to confirmed contamination.
Dr. Drew did not identify a cause for the outbreak in the TMZ video. The key point from his comments was caution without panic: the source is still unknown, but he does not think the public should treat every head of lettuce or bag of greens as a crisis.
For now, his practical takeaway is narrow. If people are worried about greens, cook them. If they are following the outbreak, wait for investigators to pin down where it started.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.