A deadly E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounder burgers has prompted the restaurant chain to pull the item from menus in select states.
One person has died while nearly 50 others became ill after eating the burgers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The illnesses have been reported in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oregon, Utah, and Wisconsin.
The locations of the people who became sick, and the suspected store locations, have not been disclosed.
Investigators are working to determine whether fresh-slivered onions, used in Quarter Pounders, are the source of the outbreak.
While the investigation continues, McDonald's says it has stopped using those onions in the affected states.
"The majority of menu items are not affected," Erlinger said. "Other beef products at McDonald's, including the cheeseburger, hamburger, Big Mac, McDouble and the double cheeseburger, are not impacted."
From the website of the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
As of October 22, 49 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 have been reported from 10 states.
Illnesses started on dates ranging from September 27, 2024, to October 11, 2024. Of 28 people with information available, 10 have been hospitalized, and 1 person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can cause kidney failure.
One death has been reported from an older adult in Colorado. This is not the same person with HUS.
The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for E. coli. In addition, recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.
State and local public health officials are interviewing people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Of the 18 people interviewed, all 18 report eating at McDonald’s, and 16 people report eating a beef hamburger. Of 14 people who remember the specific beef hamburger they ate at McDonald’s, 12 report eating a Quarter Pounder hamburger.
The CDC says some people are more at risk of E. coli infection than others. They include young children, adults 65 years and older and people with a weakened immune system.
Signs of E. coli infection include diarrhea and a fever higher than 102 degrees, vomiting and dehydration. In serious cases, kidney failure and death can occur.
