The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating an E. coli outbreak that has sickened 49 people in 10 states, including one person who has died.
Most sick people reported eating Quarter Pounder hamburgers from McDonald’s, the agency said Tuesday. The CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and public health officials in multiple states are working to confirm which food ingredient is contaminated.
Preliminary information reviewed by the FDA shows that slivered onions are a likely source of contamination, the agency said. “FDA is working quickly to confirm that these onions are a source of this outbreak and to determine if these onions were served or sold at other businesses,” the agency said.
In the meantime, McDonald’s has stopped using fresh slivered onions and quarter-pound beef patties in several states while the investigation continues, the CDC said.
Quarter-pound beef patties are only used on Quarter Pounders. Fresh slivered onions are primarily used on Quarter Pounders and not other menu items, the CDC said.
Cesar Piña, McDonald’s chief supply chain officer for North America, sent an internal email Tuesday about the outbreak, which the company released: “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.”
He said all local restaurants have been instructed to remove slivered onions from their supply, and the company has paused the distribution of all slivered onions in the affected area.
Most illnesses were reported in Colorado and Nebraska, the agency said. Colorado health authorities said an older adult with underlying conditions died after contracting E. coli. Cases have also been reported in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
The first illness was reported Sept. 27, and the most recent illness was reported Oct. 11, the CDC said.
Out of an abundance of caution, McDonald’s said, the chain is also temporarily removing the Quarter Pounder from restaurants in Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma.
The company said it is working to replenish supply for the Quarter Pounder in the “coming weeks.” All other menu items, including the Cheeseburger, Hamburger, Big Mac, McDouble and Double Cheeseburger, are unaffected and remain available, he said.
Most E. coli bacteria are harmless and part of a healthy intestinal tract. But some E. coli can make people sick with diarrhea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, sepsis and other illnesses.
Most people infected with Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli can experience severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody) and vomiting. Symptoms usually start three to four days after swallowing the bacteria. Most people recover without treatment after five to seven days.
About 5 to 10 percent of people who are diagnosed with an E. coli infection develop a potentially life-threatening complication known as hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS. This syndrome develops about seven days after symptoms first appear, when diarrhea is improving.
Clues that someone is developing HUS include decreased frequency of urination, feeling very tired, and losing pink color in cheeks and inside the lower eyelids. People with HUS should be hospitalized because their kidneys may stop working and they may develop other serious problems. Most people with HUS recover within a few weeks, but some suffer permanent damage or die.
The CDC typically coordinates between 17 and 36 investigations of foodborne illnesses involving multiple states each week. Earlier this year, an E. coli outbreak was linked to organic walnut halves, and another E. coli outbreak was linked to raw cheddar cheese.
A listeria outbreak connected to Boar’s Head deli meat was linked to 10 deaths and dozens of hospitalizations earlier this year.
The CDC and the FDA are urging people who ate a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburger and have severe E. coli symptoms to call their health-care provider. These symptoms include:
– diarrhea for more than three days
– bloody diarrhea
– fever higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit
– so much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down
– signs of dehydration, such as infrequent urination, dry mouth and throat