McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers linked to deadly E. coli outbreak, CDC says

McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers are linked to an E. coli outbreak that sickened nearly 50 people in 10 states and killed one person, federal health officials said Tuesday.

Most of those sickened said they ate Quarter Pounders from McDonald’s, and researchers are working to confirm which food ingredient is contaminated, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A total of 49 cases have been reported so far. Most of the illnesses occurred in Colorado and Nebraska, with 26 becoming ill in Colorado and Nebraska and nine becoming ill in Nebraska, the CDC said. Of the 26 sick people in Colorado, one older adult died, the CDC said. Health officials in Utah and Wyoming each reported four illnesses. Other states reporting illnesses include Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oregon and Wisconsin.

At least 10 people were hospitalized. The illnesses began in late September and the most recent incident occurred on October 11th.

Another person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious condition that can lead to kidney failure, according to the CDC. The deceased person is not the same person with HUS.

“Initial results of the investigation indicate that a subset of illnesses may be linked to the onion slivers used in the Quarter Pounder, which are purchased from a single supplier that serves three distribution centers,” said Cesar Piña, the company’s chief supply chain officer Company for North America a statement.

McDonald’s is removing Quarter Pounder

The company said it will remove the Quarter Pounder from restaurants in the affected region, including Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as parts of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma.

McDonald’s is cooperating with federal and state health authorities and has stopped using fresh onion slices and quarter-pound beef patties in several states where the product will be temporarily unavailable, the CDC said.

Quarter-pound beef patties are used only for Quarter Pounders, and fresh onion slices are used primarily for Quarter Pounder hamburgers and not for other menu items, according to the CDC.

It typically takes three to four weeks to determine whether a sick person is part of an outbreak. Most people infected with the toxin-producing E. coli experience severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting. Most recover without treatment in five to seven days.

People are advised to call their doctor if they have eaten a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder and have severe E. coli symptoms, as follows:

• Diarrhea and fever over 38°C
  – Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
  – Bloody diarrhea
• Vomiting so much that you can’t keep your fluids down
• Signs of dehydration, such as:
  – Reduced urination
  – Dry mouth and throat
  – Feeling dizzy when standing up

Shares of McDonald’s fell sharply in after-hours trading, most recently falling 7%.

The outbreak is not the first to be linked to the Golden Arches. In 2018 there was an outbreak of intestinal disease McDonald’s salads have sickened more than 500 people in more than a dozen states.