Oct. 22 (UPI) — An E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders has led to one death and 10 hospitalizations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday, as the fast food chain pulled the iconic burgers from its restaurants in several states.
One person in Colorado died, according to the CDC, which has tracked the outbreak to a total of 10 states.
“CDC is investigating 49 illnesses in 10 states linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers. If you ate a Quarter Pounder hamburger from McDonald’s and have severe symptoms of E. coli, contact your healthcare provider,” the CDC wrote Tuesday in a post on X.
Among the symptoms are a fever higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit, diarrhea, severe vomiting and dehydration.
Of the 10 people who have been hospitalized, one is a child who developed a kidney disease called hemolytic uremic syndrome.
Most of the cases have been reported in Colorado, with nine cases reported in Nebraska. Other states affected are Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
“This is a fast-moving outbreak investigation,” the CDC said in a statement.
“Most sick people are reporting eating Quarter Pounder hamburgers from McDonald’s and investigators are working quickly to confirm which food ingredient is contaminated. McDonald’s has pulled ingredients for these burgers, and they won’t be available for sale in some states,” the CDC added.
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, McDonald’s said that its “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 Food and Drug Administration said the diced onions used in other McDonald’s burgers are not suspected in the outbreak.
“All other menu items, including other beef products — such as the Cheeseburger, Hamburger, Big Mac, McDouble and the Double Cheeseburger — are unaffected and available,” McDonald’s added.
The CDC began its investigation on Oct. 15, after health officials in Colorado reported an unusual increase in E. Coli cases on Oct. 10. The first case was reported on Sept. 27.
“Serving customers safely in every single restaurant, each and every day, is our top priority and something we will never compromise on,” said Cesar Piña, McDonald’s North America chief supply chain officer.
“We will continue to work with the CDC and are committed to providing timely updates as we restore our full menu.”
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