LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — As anxiety around a nationwide parasite outbreak grows, one local restaurant is feeling the pain despite there being only one confirmed case in Clark County.
Taylor Farms recalled lettuce over the weekend in connection with the outbreak, but the FDA said subsequent sample testing came back as a false positive. The CDC has reported no deaths linked to the outbreak.
MORE ON FOX5: Southern Nevada health officials report first cyclosporiasis case linked to outbreak in Clark County
Local salad shop sees sales drop
Christopher Hosbrook, who oversees Chop Stop at Town Square, said sales have dropped more than 60 percent week over week since the outbreak was reported — despite the restaurant having no direct connection to the recall.
Hosbrook said Chop Stop does not sell iceberg lettuce, the type linked to the recall. He said the broader media coverage has still driven customers away.
“In the news it’s labeled as a lettuce recall, but even though we aren’t affected by it directly as a brand, everyone hears ‘lettuce recall’ and then they tie it to produce and that drastically does affect us,” Hosbrook said.
Hosbrook said food safety has always been a priority at the shop. He said produce that is not pre-washed and sealed is washed daily, and the restaurant uses an anti-microbial wash as an added layer of protection.
“This is something we do. It’s an extra layer of protection for our customers,” he said.
To offset the drop in business, Hosbrook said he is promoting other cooked menu items, such as quesadillas.
UNLV expert: No known local risk
Brian Labus, an infectious disease epidemiologist at UNLV, said the contaminated produce has not been shipped to the Las Vegas area.
“As far as we know, we haven’t had that produce shipped here, so we haven’t seen that risk in our local residents,” Labus said.
Labus said the illness does not spread person to person and is most often linked to contaminated food. He said cases diagnosed locally have been tied to travel.
“So they were infected when they traveled, brought it back home, and it was diagnosed here. So it really doesn’t change anything for us at all,” Labus said.
Labus said the illness has been associated with raw fruits and vegetables, and that cooking food can reduce the risk.
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