Public Health

Dr. Anthony Fauci isn't being railroaded like alleged Communist sympathizers during the Joe McCarthy era ... so says Rep. Nancy Mace.

The Congresswoman from South Carolina joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday to discuss the ongoing hearings ... and she pushed back on Harvey Levin's argument that this is just Red Scare McCarthyism 2.0.

Rep. Mace strongly disagrees ... saying Senator McCarthy targeted innocent people in different groups to destroy them -- whereas Congress is investigating a man who really did some serious damage.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration claims one of its recent tests on Taylor Farms products came back as a false positive ... amid the concern over the diarrhea-causing parasite cyclospora.

The FDA revealed it had alerted Taylor Farms that a sample it took that came back positive during an initial exam ... actually ended up being a false positive.

The FDA says it double-checked the test samples on lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico, resulting in a "false positive" for the parasite, which causes explosive diarrhea and other gastrointestinal issues ... according to a new report.

After the results turned out to be bogus, the FDA fell on its sword. Taylor Fresh Foods, which owns Taylor Farms, told Newsweek that the FDA apologized to them, saying there was no cyclospora found in the sample.

The founders of the Taco Bell 50K aren't letting the fast-food chain's ongoing parasite outbreak derail their plans ... telling TMZ they're still expecting to hold the race this fall.

Race co-founder Dan Zolnikov tells TMZ the health of participants comes first, but he's optimistic the outbreak will be resolved and investigators will identify the source long before the October event.

He acknowledges the situation could leave some runners hesitant to sign up and may hurt Taco Bell's reputation, which TB just acknowledged on Instagram, in the short term, but says they're hoping for the best possible outcome.

Taco Bell is breaking its silence about the parasite outbreak causing explosive diarrhea ... and they're telling customers it's time to Live Mas once again.

In a statement posted to social media, the popular fast-food chain said all the lettuce connected to supplier Taylor Farms, believed to be the cause of the cyclosporiasis outbreak, has been tossed.

Taco Bell said the health and safety of their customers is the No. 1 concern ... but it's all good now, so come back -- and grub down on cheap Mexican fast food.

Taco Bell is hearing the public's outrage about the recent cyclosporiasis outbreak as loud and clear as a bell ... and now they've been named as a defendant in at least three new lawsuits.

The fast-food chain is being sued by multiple people in connection with the recent outbreak of a parasite that causes explosive diarrhea ... including one man who claims he was admitted to a hospital after coming down with some severe symptoms following a meal at Taco Bell.

A 27-year military veteran named David Ott -- who is being represented by respected law firm Ron Simon & Associates -- claims he purchased and ate some Taco Supremes from an Ohio Taco Bell on June 18 and June 20 ... and, a couple days after, he experienced abdominal pain, gas, diarrhea, and more.

The FDA may be zeroing in on the source of Taco Bell's diarrhea debacle ... putting the chain's lettuce supplier under the microscope.

They've identified Taylor Farms as a possible source of the cyclosporiasis outbreak plaguing 4 Midwestern states ... this reportedly from a person familiar with the investigation.

Almost 7,000 people have gotten sick across the country, but this investigation is focused on the hundreds of cases in Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky. So, it's unclear which sources are responsible for the other outbreaks in the U.S.

Folks are blowing the whole explosive diarrhea outbreak crap out of proportion ... at least that's what Dr. Drew is saying.

We got Dr. Drew out in L.A. on Wednesday and our photog asked him about the cyclosporiasis surge and an investigation into possible links to Taco Bell.

Dr. Drew says folks need to clam down ... throwing some numbers out there that should make you feel a lot better.

An Ohio woman says she became "deathly ill" with "violent diarrhea" just hours after having a bite of a salad at a local restaurant ... as the nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak continues to send people to the porcelain throne.

The woman, a Toledo resident, told 13 Action News she ordered a salad on June 24 ... and she sent it back because some leaves were brown ... but not before taking a small bite that was enough to do her dirty. She says within hours of trying the salad she was suffering from debilitating diarrhea.

Her symptoms became manageable enough for her to get through work, but the diarrhea came back with a vengeance ... she had "severe abdominal cramping" and couldn't hold any solid food down. She said she went over a week without eating solid food and finally went to the emergency room after 10 days of illness, where she discovered she had cyclosporiasis.

The recent explosive diarrhea parasite taking over the nation might have people saying "no quiero Taco Bell" ... but a familiar tiny canine -- or rather his voice actor -- says that's not the slogan he would use after dining there.

Carlos Alazraqui -- the voice of the former Taco Bell Chihuahua -- tells TMZ ... he ate at Taco Bell last night and didn't come down with a case of the runs.

Carlos ordered the Crunchy Beef Burrito with nacho fries and two tacos -- which contained lettuce, the main suspect in the outbreak -- and he walked away happy and full ... telling us, "I survived!"

He also joked he might have gotten special treatment to make sure his food was safe because he was the voice of the famous dog from the 1997 commercial.

Might have to put a longer pause on those drunk, late-night Taco Bell visits ... because the explosive diarrhea parasite is starting to go national ... and the fast food chain is under investigation for a possible connection to the outbreak.

According to The Washington Post ... the investigation is ongoing, with leafy lettuce as the leading suspect in what's causing the outbreak ... but that doesn't mean other food items can be ruled out. To be clear ... the investigation extends beyond Taco Bell locations ... with officials looking into various potential sources for the outbreak.

More than 2,600 cases have hit in Michigan alone ... and now 30 states are reporting higher numbers of illnesses. Nationwide, more than 80 people are hospitalized.

There's a buzz about the restaurant at Trump National Golf Club Washington, D.C. ... problem is, health inspectors say the joint is buzzing with flies.

Trump's Virginia property was inspected by Loudoun County health officials last month ... they checked out the main clubhouse restaurant, snack bar, and club-grill and say a "large quantity of small flies" was discovered in the storage room near the employee restrooms.

Among the other violations ... food stored at temperatures above county health code requirements -- blue cheese, sausage patties, sausage links, and pasta.

Club officials told NOTUS, which was first to report the violations, the establishment was being politically targeted ... hence the less-than-glowing report.

Taco Bell has spent years being the butt of jokes about emergency bathroom trips ... but this time, there's actually a real reason some customers might be nervous.

The fast-food giant has reportedly pulled several fresh ingredients -- including lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, and its cilantro-onion blend -- from some locations while health officials investigate a surge in cyclospora, a foodborne parasite that can trigger weeks of stomach misery ... including what's been described as "explosive" diarrhea.

The move has left some menu items looking a little bare ... and, for once, the usual Taco Bell bathroom jokes come with a real health warning.

A pilot reportedly suffered a medical emergency during an Air Canada flight, and passengers jumped in to help restrain him after the aircraft took a sharp turn.

The frightening incident occurred Wednesday on an Air Canada flight from Newark, New Jersey to Halifax, Nova Scotia, after the pilot experienced what some passengers thought was a seizure that lasted about 40 minutes, according to ABC News.  

The first officer reportedly took command of the fight, diverting the plane to Boston, where it touched down safely. After landing, the captain was rushed to a hospital for treatment. His condition is currently unknown.

A terminally ill 12-year-old has been euthanized in the Netherlands ... and now, the doctor will be reviewed ... despite the practice being legal.

Here's the deal ... in 2024, the Dutch government legalized euthanasia for severely ill children between the ages of 1 and 12 ... and this unidentified minor in question died last year, according to the outlet NOS. The child is the first to die via euthanasia since the law was passed.

The Netherlands Minister of Health, Sophie Hermans, reportedly wrote in a legal letter that the case has been reviewed and will be sent to the Public Prosecution Service (OM), which will ultimately determine if the procedure was handled with regard to the law.