Wisconsin bride’s honeymoon ruined by cyclosporiasis explosive diarrhea, ‘Our vows said in sickness and in health, so we’re getting an early start’

The United States is currently battling a significant spike in the parasitic intestinal illness cyclosporiasis, which causes explosive diarrhea.

More than 1,645 laboratory-confirmed domestically acquired cases have been across 34 states since May 1, 2026, a sharp increase from just 249 cases during the same period last year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that 5,100 additional cases are still under analysis, and an initial investigation has linked the outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell. Their provider, Taylor Farms de Mexico, has issued a recall.

“This is still our honeymoon, so we’re making the best of it”

One of those 1,645 cases was Wisconsin bride Gretchen Pleuss, who told Boston’s WCVB5 that what was supposed to be an idyllic honeymoon camping at Yellowstone National Park turned into what the report describes as a “horror vacation”.

Pleuss said, “I felt fine until we got out here, and a couple of days into camping here, I started having symptoms”, and that, “It was just like incessant diarrhea.” This progressed into intense pain, prompting a trip to the emergency room, where doctors confirmed she had the cyclospora parasite.

As Pleuss explained, “It feels like your intestines are really tight, like something is seizing them”. PEOPLE reported that Pleuss believes she contracted the parasite after eating shredded lettuce in a sandwich, though she did not identify where she bought the sandwich.

But while this is hardly the way any newlywed couple would want their honeymoon to go, Pleuss said that they’re treating their wedding vows seriously: “Our vows said in sickness and in health, so we’re just getting an early start on that”. She also said that, despite everything, “this is still our honeymoon, so we’re making the best of it.”

Efforts are underway to limit the spread of the parasite, though this is complicated by an incubation period of up to two weeks before symptoms appear. Taco Bell has stated that the health of customers is their priority,

“Based on ongoing conversations with public health officials, and out of an abundance of caution, Taco Bell worked swiftly to voluntarily remove the product from restaurants and the affected ingredient has been removed from our supply chain nationwide. We took this action to ensure our guests can enjoy their Taco Bell favorites safely,”

Taylor Farms de Mexico also stated that this outbreak is connected to a “specific independent farm”, though it is removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market:

“While the FDA traceback is indicating a specific independent farm, which represents less than 1% of the U.S.’s iceberg lettuce supply, as the potential source of the outbreak, we have removed all iceberg lettuce from the region indefinitely.”

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, which led the initial investigation, has warned people to be aware of their health and to take this seriously, saying “Anyone experiencing gastrointestinal illness, such as sudden and ongoing diarrhea, should contact their health care provider and their local health department.”