An E. coli outbreak, which has killed at least one person in Colorado and sickened dozens of others, is linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers or the onions served on them, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday.
The CDC said 49 people had been infected in 10 states, though the agency warned the number infections was likely higher. Most illnesses were reported in Colorado and Nebraska, the agency said.
Illnesses started on dates ranging from Sept. 27 to Oct. 11. Of the 28 people with information available, 10 had been hospitalized, and one person developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can cause kidney failure.
“One death has been reported from an older adult in Colorado,” the CDC said, adding that the death was not the same person who developed hemolytic uremic syndrome.
Those infected ranged in age from 13 to 88 years old, the CDC said.
“Investigators are working quickly to confirm which food ingredient is contaminated,” the CDC said in an alert. “McDonald’s has pulled ingredients for these burgers, and they won’t be available for sale in some states.”
“Quarter Pounder hamburgers will not be available temporarily in some states,” the CDC said. “Investigators are working to confirm which ingredient in these hamburgers is making people sick and if it went to other restaurants or stores.”
The agency said McDonald's reported it had stopped using fresh slivered onions and quarter pound beef patties in several states.
“McDonald's is proactively making these changes while investigators work to confirm the contaminated ingredient,” the CDC said. “Quarter pound beef patties are only used on Quarter Pounders. Fresh slivered onions are primarily used on Quarter Pounder hamburgers and not other menu items.”
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