A Chicago couple filed the first Illinois lawsuit tied to the 2026 Cyclospora outbreak against Taylor Fresh Foods and Taylor Farms California. Alonso Zaragoza and Jadhira Sanchez brought the case in the U.S.
District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, case 1:26-cv-10148, after Zaragoza fell seriously ill with a parasitic infection, according to Chicago Sun-Times/Fox32 Chicago reporting. The suit accuses the defendants of selling shredded iceberg lettuce contaminated with Cyclospora cayetanensis, a microscopic parasite that causes prolonged intestinal illness. It names ten legal counts and seeks a jury trial, according to Marler Clark's case summary.
Official resources:
- Read the original report from Suntimes — Use this primary source to review the complete report.
- Read the original report from Suntimes — Use this primary source to review the complete report.
Table of Contents
- What Happened to the Plaintiff
- What the Lawsuit Alleges
- How Large Is the Outbreak Behind This Case
- Where the Evidence Stands on the Source
- What Other Affected Consumers Can Do
What Happened to the Plaintiff
Zaragoza ate a chalupa box meal containing shredded lettuce at a Taco Bell on West Belmont Avenue in Chicago on July 11, 2026. Four days later, on July 15, he went to the emergency department at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to Marler Clark. A positive Cyclospora test did not come back until August 4, 2026 — twenty-three days after his first symptoms appeared.
That gap reflects how hard the parasite is to diagnose: standard stool tests often miss it, and labs frequently need to run specialized testing before confirming the infection. Sanchez, Zaragoza's partner, did not contract the illness herself. She joined the suit with a loss-of-consortium claim, seeking damages for the burden of caring for him while he was sick, under the same Marler Clark account.
What the Lawsuit Alleges
The complaint pleads ten counts against Taylor Fresh Foods and Taylor Farms California, including strict product liability, breach of warranty, and negligence, in addition to Sanchez's loss-of-consortium claim. It demands a jury trial and damages exceeding $75,000, according to Marler Clark.
The plaintiffs are represented by Gary A. Newland and Erin A. Adamski of Newland & Newland LLP in Arlington Heights, Illinois, along with William Marler of Marler Clark, a firm that has handled numerous foodborne-illness cases, according to the Chicago Sun-Times/Fox32 Chicago report.
How Large Is the Outbreak Behind This Case
On July 24, 2026, the FDA and CDC expanded their multistate investigation by adding Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania, bringing the total to nine affected states. At that point the case count stood at 1,947 people, with at least 98 hospitalizations and no reported deaths, according to CDC and FDA figures reported by Agri-Pulse.
Illinois itself carried a heavy share of that burden. The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 995 cyclosporiasis cases statewide as of early August 2026 — 631 acquired domestically and 193 among people who had traveled abroad — with 58 hospitalizations, up from 707 cases the week before, according to state figures reported by CBS News Chicago.
Where the Evidence Stands on the Source
Taylor Fresh Foods voluntarily recalled iceberg salad and shredded lettuce distributed in 27 states, including Illinois, as a precaution. The FDA said it had not found any confirmed positive product test results for Cyclospora in connection with the outbreak as of early August 2026, according to an FDA statement reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.
No source has been confirmed specifically for the Illinois cases. The lawsuit rests on Zaragoza's documented exposure to shredded lettuce distributed by the named defendants, his timeline of symptoms, and his lab-confirmed diagnosis, rather than on a positive product test.
What Other Affected Consumers Can Do
Anyone who ate shredded iceberg lettuce from the recalled lots and later developed symptoms matching cyclosporiasis — watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, bloating, and fatigue — may have a basis to pursue a claim similar to Zaragoza's. A caregiver who missed work or incurred added household burden while someone else was sick, as Sanchez did, may also have a basis for a derivative claim depending on the state's law.
- Save medical records showing the date symptoms began and any stool test confirming Cyclospora.
- Keep receipts, loyalty-app orders, or bank statements showing where and when the lettuce or prepared food was purchased.
- Note the specific restaurant, grocery store, or product packaging, since the recall covers specific Taylor Fresh Foods and Taylor Farms California lots distributed across 27 states.
- Consult an attorney who handles foodborne-illness litigation before a statute-of-limitations deadline passes, since filing periods vary by state.