CDC announces more cases, states in E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s burgers
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Key takeaways:
- An outbreak of E coli linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders has grown to include 75 cases in 13 states.
- A supplier of yellow onions has issued a recall in response to the outbreak.
The CDC on Friday announced 26 more cases in the multistate outbreak of Escherichia coli linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders, bringing the total to 75 cases in 13 states.
Three new states — Michigan, New Mexico and Washington — were added to the outbreak since it was first announced earlier this week.
According to the CDC, 22 people have been hospitalized in the outbreak, and one person has died. One child and one adult have been hospitalized with hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious kidney condition that can be a complication of infections caused by Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157:H7.
More than half of the initial 49 cases reported on Tuesday occurred in Colorado.
According to the CDC, all 42 people who have been interviewed about their illnesses reported eating food from McDonald’s, specifically Quarter Pounder burgers.
Taylor Farms issued a recall of yellow onions this week in response to the outbreak after investigators zeroed in on slivered yellow onions as a potential cause of the outbreak, the CDC noted. Investigators also focused on the beef patties used in Quarter Pounders as a potential source of the infections, according to the agency.
In a statement this week, McDonald’s said it was taking “swift and decisive action” to respond to the outbreak, including removing slivered onions and Quarter Pounders from restaurants in impacted areas.
"Due to the product actions taken by McDonald’s and Taylor Farms, the CDC believes the continued risk to the public is very low,” the agency said in an update sent to reporters.
According to the CDC, symptoms of STEC infection include diarrhea, a temperature higher than 102°F, excessive vomiting and dehydration. STEC commonly produces bloody diarrhea, the agency noted.
References:
- CDC. E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders. https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks/e-coli-O157.html. Updated Oct. 25, 2024. Accessed Oct. 25, 2024.
- McDonalds. Always putting food safety first. https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-stories/article/always-putting-food-safety-first.html. Updated Oct. 23, 2024. Accessed Oct. 25, 2024.
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CDC. E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders. https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks/e-coli-O157.html. Updated Oct. 25, 2024. Accessed Oct. 25, 2024.
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