IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Taco Bell felt the financial effects of an E. coli outbreak at some of its U.S. restaurants, as analysts downgraded its stock and ill diners filed lawsuits.
A Pennsylvania man who said he became sick after eating at a Taco Bell sued the owner of the Irvine, Calif.-based restaurant chain, the Los Angeles Times said Saturday. Another suit seeks damages for an 11-year-old boy hospitalized after eating at a Taco Bell in New York.
Two Wall Street analysts downgraded the stock of Taco Bell parent company Yum Brand, citing potential effects of consumers' concerns for food safety. Shares were off $1.36 Friday, falling to $59.72. The stock fell 5.6 percent in the last three sessions.
Meanwhile, investigators sought the source of the bacteria that sickened more than five dozen people in six states. Taco Bell and the Food and Drug Administration were waiting for conclusive results on green onions that preliminarily tested positive for a strain of E. coli. Taco Bell pulled the onions from all of its stores nationwide as a precaution.
The FDA said it was investigating other produce and cheese eaten by ill patients.
