One person has died and dozens of others have become ill from E. coli food poisoning linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers in multiple U.S. states, federal health officials said Tuesday.
The outbreak, which began in September, has spread to 10 Western states and has infected at least 49 people, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
“Epidemiological data show that Quarter Pounder hamburgers served at McDonald’s are contaminated with E. coli and are making people sick,” the CDC said.
The highest number of infections are concentrated in Colorado and Nebraska. Other affected states include Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
According to the CDC, 10 people have been hospitalized so far, including one child with severe kidney complications.
“One elderly person died in Colorado,” the CDC added.
Most people remember eating a Quarter Pounder
All people questioned regarding the infection reported eating at McDonald’s before becoming ill.
Most mentioned eating the popular Quarter Pounder hamburger, according to the CDC.
The bacterial strain in question, E. coli O157:H7, can cause serious illness. It was also the source of an outbreak in 1993 that killed four children who ate undercooked hamburgers at a Jack in the Box restaurant.
“Initial information from the Food and Drug Administration indicates that onions may be the source of this outbreak. Investigators across agencies are working quickly to identify the contaminated ingredients.” said the CDC.
What did McDonald say?
McDonald’s shares plummeted more than 6% in after-hours trading following reports that the world’s largest food chain was linked to an E. coli outbreak.
“Food safety is extremely important to me and everyone at McDonald’s,” Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald’s U.S., said in a video message.
The company has stopped distributing sliced onions in affected areas and temporarily removed Quarter Pounders from its menu.
Quarter Pounders have also been temporarily removed from menus in parts of Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma.
“Some states have taken aggressive steps to remove the onion shreds used in Quarter Pounders,” Erlinger said.
He added: “We have also decided to temporarily remove Quarter Pounders from restaurants in some states.”
dvv/zc (AP, AFP, Reuters, DPA)