On October 22, reports surfaced regarding a significant E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s popular Quarter Pounder beef burgers, raising serious public health concerns. Health officials have confirmed that there are currently 49 cases of food poisoning across at least 10 states, with one reported death and ten individuals hospitalized.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the fatality involved an elderly person from Colorado, while a child experienced severe kidney complications following the infection and is currently hospitalized.
Data reveals that between September 27 and October 11, cases of E. coli infection were reported in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Colorado has been hit hardest, with 26 confirmed cases, followed by Nebraska with nine.
The CDC stated that all affected individuals reported feeling unwell after dining at McDonald’s, with the overwhelming majority mentioning the Quarter Pounder specifically. Investigations have been launched by the USDA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and state health authorities to address this foodborne illness outbreak.
While no specific ingredient has been definitively identified as the cause of the E. coli infections, health officials are focusing their investigations on the onions and beef used in the burgers. Initial inquiries suggest that the sliced onions may have been contaminated, prompting the USDA to examine the ground beef involved in the burgers.
In response to the outbreak, McDonald’s issued a statement on October 22, indicating that early findings suggest a link between some of the illness cases and onions from a single supplier. The fast-food chain has ceased the supply of sliced onions and temporarily removed the Quarter Pounders from the menu in the states experiencing these incidents. Similar actions have been taken by locations in Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.
McDonald’s emphasized in their statement, “We take food safety very seriously.”
