One person has died and dozens have fallen ill after a serious E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Tuesday.
The health agency said the outbreak that began in late September has spread to 10 Western states, with most of the 49 cases concentrated in Colorado and Nebraska.
Shares in the fast food chain fell more than six percent in after-hours trading after the announcement.
Ten people have been hospitalized, including a child suffering from hemolytic uremic syndrome – a serious condition that causes damage to the blood vessels in the kidneys.
“An elderly man in Colorado has died,” a CDC statement said.
All affected people had the same strain of E. coli and reported eating at McDonald’s before they developed symptoms, most notably recalling Quarter Pounders.
Although investigators have not yet determined the exact ingredient that caused the outbreak, they are focusing on chopped onions and beef patties – both of which have been removed from restaurants in the affected states, pending further investigation. .
“Food safety is very important to me and everyone at McDonald’s,” Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald’s USA, said in a video message. “We have taken steps to proactively remove chopped onions used in Quarter Pounders in select states.
“We have also decided to temporarily remove the Quarter Pounder from restaurants in select states.”
He said most of the states are not affected. In affected states, other menu items, including other beef products, will remain available.
The agency advised people who consumed the Quarter Pounder and developed symptoms of E. coli poisoning — such as diarrhea, fever greater than 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9C), and vomiting — to seek medical attention.
Symptoms typically begin three to four days after exposure, and most individuals recover within five to seven days without treatment. However, some cases can be severe and may require hospitalization.
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