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Cases in McDonald’s E. coli outbreak linked to slivered onions rise to 90

By Kelly Hayes
Published  October 31, 2024 8:12am EDT
Health
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McDonald's E.Coli outbreak: What to know

A widespread E. coli outbreak has been linked to a McDonald’s product, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). LiveNOW's Carel Lajara spoke about the outbreak with Dr. Matthew Wise, Branch Chief of the CDC's Outbreak Response and Prevention Branch.

The Brief

    • The number of E. coli cases linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounders has climbed to at least 90, the FDA said.
    • Hospitalizations have climbed to 27, and one death was linked to the outbreak early on.
    • Slivered onions previously served on McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers were named as the likely source of contamination, the agency said.

The number of E. coli cases linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounders has climbed, U.S. health officials said this week. 

It was announced on Wednesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that at least 90 confirmed cases of the E. coli O157:H7 strain have now been identified across 13 states, and hospitalizations have climbed to 27. 

Two victims have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can cause kidney failure. One death was linked to the outbreak early on.

E. coli: How it spreads, symptoms and how to prevent illness

Some strains of E. coli, a bacteria that live in the intestines of people and animals, can be particularly dangerous to infants, young children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.

Meanwhile, slivered onions previously served on McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers were named as the likely source of contamination, according to the FDA and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The FDA said it has launched inspections at the Colorado processing plant of Taylor Farms, which supplied recalled onions to McDonald's, and an unnamed onion farm in Washington state. 

McDonald’s promptly removed slivered onions from affected locations and stopped sourcing from Taylor Farms' Colorado facility indefinitely. 

The FDA noted how diced onions used at McDonald’s "have not been implicated in this outbreak."

Where is the E. coli outbreak?

After removing Quarter Pounders from the menu at 900 of its restaurants after the outbreak was discovered, McDonald's will resume serving the hamburgers in the affected areas this week. 

But the sandwiches will not be served with onions at those locations.

The areas affected by the E. coli outbreak are in Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming, as well as portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Utah, U.S. health officials said.

The Source

  • This story was written based on information published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Oct. 30, 2024, as well as information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was reported from Cincinnati, and FOX Business contributed.