An E. coli bacteria outbreak linked to McDonald’s has led to 49 cases of sickness, 10 hospitalizations, and one death. News of the bacteria outbreak comes just days after former President Donald Trump made an appearance at a McDonald’s location in Pennsylvania.
In a Tuesday press release, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced, “CDC, FDA, USDA FSIS, and public health officials in multiple states are investigating an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections. Most people in this outbreak are reporting eating the Quarter Pounder hamburger at McDonald’s before becoming sick. It is not yet known which specific food ingredient is contaminated.”
According to NBC News, the first E. coli case took place on September 27, and Colorado health officials notified the CDC of an increase in E. coli cases on October 10. The CDC subsequently opened an investigation into the bacteria outbreak, providing the public with an update on Tuesday.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the latest statistics show that 49 individuals have been reported sick, 10 people have been hospitalized, and one person has died as a result of the E. coli infection outbreak. The cases have been reported in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
As a result of the bacteria outbreak, McDonald’s locations in Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, and parts of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma have temporarily stopped using the beef patties and slivered onions for the “Quarter Pounder” sandwich.
The CDC explained that McDonald’s is “proactively making these changes while investigators work to confirm the contaminated ingredient.” The CDC added that investigators are currently working to identify which ingredient in the fast food chain’s hamburgers is making people sick and whether the ingredient was distributed to any other stores or restaurants.
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“We are very confident that you can go to McDonald’s and enjoy our classics. We took swift action yesterday to remove the Quarter Pounder from our menu. This was swift and decisive action by us,” McDonald’s USA President Joe Erlinger told NBC. He added, “We’re confident that, that we’ll see our way through this and we’ll restore confidence for the American consumer to come to McDonald’s.”
According to the CDC, most individuals infected with E. coli experience vomiting, diarrhea, and severe stomach cramps. The CDC says that symptoms typically present themselves roughly three or four days after swallowing the bacteria and that most infected individuals are able to recover without treatment within five to seven days.
The CDC also warns, “Some people may develop serious kidney problems (hemolytic uremic syndrome, also called HUS) and would need to be hospitalized.”
