WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal health officials are investigating after multiple people have become ill and one person has died after eating the popular Quarter Pounder from McDonald’s.
The Centers for Disease Control reports there are 49 cases so far, leading to 10 hospitalizations and one death of an older person. The “fast-moving outbreak” has been found in 10 states — Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Colorado has had the most cases, with 26.
The CDC says it’s unclear which ingredient in the hamburger might be causing the illnesses. It says McDonald’s is cooperating with the investigation and has stopped using fresh slivered onions and quarter-pound beef patties in several states.
“We take food safety extremely seriously and it’s the right thing to do,” a statement from McDonald’s says.
“The initial findings from the investigation indicate that a subset of illnesses may be linked to slivered onions used in the Quarter Pounder and sourced by a single supplier that serves three distribution centers,” the statement says. “As a result, and in line with our safety protocols, all local restaurants have been instructed to remove this product from their supply and we have paused the distribution of all slivered onions in the impacted area.”
McDonald’s says all other beef products, including the cheeseburger, hamburger, Big Mac, McDouble and the Double Cheeseburger, are unaffected and remain available.
The U.S. Agriculture Department, the Food and Drug Administration and state health officials are also investigating.
Severe symptoms of E. coli include diarrhea and a fever higher than 102 degrees, diarrhea for more than three days that is not improving, and so much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down. Milder symptoms are stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting. The symptoms usually start three to four days after ingesting the bacteria.