McDonald's Deadly E. Coli Outbreak Sickens Customers Across 10 States
A deadly E. Coli outbreak is currently making major headlines after killing one person and sickening dozens of others across 10 states. According to America's leading public health agency, McDonald's hamburgers are likely the culprit.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officially announced an investigation into the E. coli outbreak on Oct. 22. So far, one person has died, 10 have been hospitalized, and 49 total have fallen ill across the impacted states, which include Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. According to the agency, most people affected by the outbreak have reported eating Quarter Pounder hamburgers from McDonald's before becoming sick.
It's unclear exactly which Quarter Pounder ingredient may be contaminated, the CDC said. However, in an Oct. 22 open letter, McDonald's North America Chief Supply Chain Officer Cesar Piña said that "initial findings from the investigation indicate that a subset of illnesses may be linked to slivered onions used in the Quarter Pounder and sourced by a single supplier that serves three distribution centers."
Piña stressed that the company is collaborating with the CDC and taking "swift and decisive action" in light of the outbreak news and has ordered local restaurants to stop serving the potentially contaminated slivered onions.
Additionally, the Quarter Pounder has been temporarily removed from restaurants in areas impacted by the outbreak, including Colorado, Kansas, and Utah. Portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma have also temporarily stopped serving the popular burger.
"We take food safety extremely seriously and it's the right thing to do," Piña said.
All other beef items at McDonald's—including the Cheeseburger (300 calories), Hamburger (250 calories), Big Mac (590 calories), McDouble (390 calories), and Double Cheeseburger (440 calories)—are still available and unaffected by the outbreak. McDonald's is working with its suppliers to restore Quarter Pounder supplies in the affected areas in the coming weeks, though the timing of the burger's return could vary by market. Piña said the company will continue to provide timely updates as it navigates the outbreak and menu changes.
According to the CDC, E. coli are bacteria that can infect people through contaminated food or water, or contact with animals, other people, and certain environments. Some people are especially likely to become infected by E. coli, including children younger than five, adults 65 or older, international travelers, and people with weakened immune systems.
The CDC urges anyone who recently ate a McDonald's Quarter Pounder and developed severe E. Coli symptoms to contact their doctor. Severe symptoms may include a fever higher than 102 F, diarrhea that lasts for more than three days, bloody diarrhea, signs of dehydration, and so much vomiting that liquids can't be kept down.
Sign up for our newsletter!
