McDonald’s Quarter Pounders linked to multistate E. coli outbreak, one death

McDonald’s E. coli outbreak overview: 

• Who: One person died and 49 are sick amid an E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers.
• Why: McDonald’s says the dozens of illnesses may be linked to the hamburger’s slivered onions or beef patties.
• Where: The McDonald’s E. coli outbreak is active in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming. 

One person died and 49 others fell ill due to E. coli infections linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers in 10 states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The outbreak, which primarily affected Colorado, hospitalized 10 people, including one child who developed severe kidney complications, NPR reports.

The CDC says all individuals interviewed as part of the investigation ate at McDonald’s before becoming ill with most specifically mentioning the Quarter Pounder. 

The outbreak, traced back to infections occurring between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11, affected Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Colorado leads with 27 cases, while Nebraska follows with nine.

While a specific ingredient responsible for the contamination has yet to be confirmed, investigators are focusing on the hamburger’s slivered onions and beef patties, Reuters reports. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration are both involved in the investigation. 

McDonald’s temporarily removes Quarter Pounders from menus in affected states

E. coli O157, the strain responsible for this outbreak, is known for causing severe illness and was also behind the 1993 Jack in the Box outbreak, which resulted in the deaths of four children, Reuters reports. 

In light of the McDonald’s E. coli outbreak, the company says it temporarily removed Quarter Pounder hamburgers from menus in the affected states, as well as parts of Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma.

In a statement, McDonald’s says, “We take food safety extremely seriously, and it’s the right thing to do.” The company says it stopped distributing the slivered onions linked to a single supplier, pending further investigation.

Meanwhile, in April, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert related to ground beef produced by Greater Omaha Packing Co., as ground beef that was on hold for a positive E. coli test was inadvertently used to produce the ground beef products included in the health alert.

Are you affected by the McDonald’s E. coli outbreak? Let us know in the comments! 

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