Health officials are investigating a deadly outbreak of E. Coli that has been linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers, with dozens of illnesses and one death reported in 10 states so far.
This is a “fast-moving outbreak investigation” and health officials are working quickly to determine what specific food is making people sick.
In the meantime, McDonald’s stores in 12 states have temporarily stopped using Quarter Pounder beef patties and fresh slivered onions.
At least 49 people have been infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7, including 10 who were hospitalized and 1 death, according to the CDC Outbreak Investigation.
The person who died was an “older adult in Colorado,” the CDC said. Another person was hospitalized with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), a condition that can cause kidney failure.
The illnesses were reported in 10 states between September 27 and October 11, 2024, with most of the sick people in Colorado and Nebraska.
The case count by state is: Colorado (26), Iowa (1), Kansas (1), Missouri (1), Montana (1), Nebraska (9), Oregon (1), Utah (4), Wisconsin (1), and Wyoming (4).
However, “The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” the CDC warned.
In interviews with health officials, most of the sick people said they ate a Quarter Pounder before they got sick, so investigators are focusing on 1/4-pound beef patties and fresh slivered onions — the only two ingredients that are used primarily on Quarter Pounders, and not other menu items.
Anyone who recently ate a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder should seek medical attention for severe diarrhea, a fever higher than 102ºF, so much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down, or dehydration.
The strain of E. coli in this outbreak is E. coli O157:H7, which produces Shiga toxin. Most people who are infected suffer from severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting. The symptoms usually start 3 to 4 days after eating contaminated food.
Source: Outbreak Investigation of E. coli O157:H7: McDonald’s Quarter Pounders (October 2024)
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