The E. coli infection traced to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers has now grown to 75 cases with 22 hospitalizations and one death in 13 states, according to an update posted today from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This represents 26 new cases, 12 new hospitalizations and three new states since the initial announcement on Oct. 22. There are still no reported cases in Virginia. The one death was reported in Colorado.
Taylor Farms, a Salinas, Calif.-based company, produced the onions that were served on hamburgers. The onions are being investigated by the CDC as the source of the outbreak.
“The 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,” said McDonald’s in a statement. “As a result, and in line with our safety protocols, all local restaurants have been instructed to remove this product from their supply and we have paused the distribution of all slivered onions in the impacted area.”
Taylor Farms has initiated a voluntary recall of some onions sent to food service operators.
Other fast food restaurants have stopped serving fresh onions in response to the outbreak. Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC discontinued the use of fresh onions temporarily “out of an abundance of caution.”
Most people infected have symptoms starting three to four days after consumption, and the majority of people recover without treatment after five to seven days, according to the CDC.
The true number of sick people is likely much higher than the number reported. Many people recover without medical care and are not tested for E. coli.
It can take up to four weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.
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Crystal Graham
