Bob's Taco Station owner speaks out about cyclospora lawsuit

Owner says he and employees are helping the health department any way they can

ROSENBERG, Texas – The owner of a popular Rosenberg restaurant slapped with a lawsuit after that cyclospora outbreak is now talking. 

Nearly 40 people in Fort Bend County have tested positive, and the health department says several of them ate at Bob's Taco Station.

The owner of the restaurant says he hasn't seen the lawsuit, but he says he and employees are helping the health department any way they can.

Meanwhile, investigators from the Centers for Disease Control are in Fort Bend County, trying to figure out just how the outbreak started.

"This is not a 'Bob's' problem," said Bob Alanis, owner of Bob's Taco Station. Alanis said it is a nationwide problem.

"Unfortunately, there's a bad batch of produce that came up through the Fort Bend County area, which other restaurants and grocery stories have purchased and used, for customers to consume," he explained.

Local 2 first told you about a lawsuit filed against the restaurant, and two of its suppliers, by a couple in Fort Bend County. A spokesperson for the Fort Bend County Health Department told Local 2 that inspectors are working to determine the exact source of the outbreak. They said Bob's Taco Station does have a handful of cases linked to the cyclospora cases, but the restaurant is not the common link in most of the cases.

The department asked for the restaurant's help in the investigation because it is a locally owned business.

"We were the only ones to step up and provide this information, which these resources were available to everyone from the community, other businesses in the community, to provide the CDC and station officials," said Alanis.

Cyclospora is a parasite typically spread through tainted produce. The best way to avoid it at home is to wash your produce thoroughly.

There are currently 36 lab-confirmed cases of cyclospora in Fort Bend County, and eight probable cases.


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