A food poisoning outbreak tied to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders was caused by a common type of E. coli bacteria that can cause serious illness and death. As AP News reports, about 50 people have fallen ill in the McDonald’s outbreak, and one has died, with ages ranging from 13 to 88, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A preliminary investigation suggests raw slivered onions – all sourced from a single facility to the affected locations – served on Quarter Pounders are a likely source of the outbreak. This would be the first time onions would be linked to E. coli, a CDC spokesperson confirmed to Yahoo Finance. The agency is “still investigating to determine the ingredient linked to illness so we don’t yet have enough information to say it’s onions or beef.” However, E. coli is usually killed at 160 degrees, and McDonald’s safety protocols call for burgers to be cooked at 175 degrees.
While the CDC posted a food safety alert on Tuesday, McDonald’s learned of the outbreak late last week, per company spokespeople. The company quickly removed two ingredients from affected restaurants at that time, when the reported cases were lower. From Sept. 27 to Oct. 11, the timeline that the CDC reported, McDonald’s is expected to have sold about 1 million Quarter Pounders in the affected geography.
About one-fifth of McDonald’s US restaurants are not offering Quarter Pounders or onions as a result of the outbreak. That’s roughly 2,700 restaurants, based on 13,484 total US locations as of the second quarter.
Here’s what to know about this deadly bacteria and help you determine if you may have E. Coli poisoning.
What is E. coli?
E. coli is a type of bacteria found in the environment, including water, food and in the intestines of people and animals. There are many kinds of harmless E. coli, but a few types can make people seriously ill. The McDonald’s outbreak is caused by E. coli O157:H7, which produces a toxin that causes dangerous diarrhea and can lead to kidney failure and other serious problems, according to the CDC.
How is it spread?
People can get sick from E. coli poisoning when they consume contaminated foods or through contact with animals, the environment or other people who are infected. Health officials initially focused on fresh slivered onions and beef patties as the possible sources of the McDonald’s outbreak. But the beef patties are an unlikely source because of federal requirements for testing meat and McDonald’s protocols that call for cooking it to a temperature that kills the bacteria. The onions are served raw.
What are the symptoms of E. coli poisoning?
Symptoms occur quickly, within a day or two of eating contaminated food, and typically include fever, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea and signs of dehydration — little or no peeing, increased thirst and dizziness. The infection can cause a type of serious kidney injury, especially in kids younger than 5. E. coli poisoning in young children requires immediate medical attention.
How often and who does E. coli most affect?
The type of bacteria implicated in this outbreak causes about 74,000 infections in the U.S. annually, leading to more than 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths each year, according to the CDC. In general, E. coli infections were lower in 2023 than in recent years and cases of severe kidney injury caused by the bacteria remained stable, according to latest federal data. Particularly vulnerable are young children, older people or those with weakened immune systems.
—
Photo Credit: Andrey Armyagov / Shutterstock.com