McDonald’s Quarter Pounders sold at restaurants across the country may have been contaminated with E. coli, according to a warning from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC says at least 49 people have contracted E. coli through this recently identified outbreak, including one person who has died and 10 who have been hospitalized.
Most of those illnesses have been reported in Nebraska and Colorado, but have also been identified in eight other states.
Officials say the CDC and McDonald’s have yet to determine which ingredient is contaminated and responsible for the outbreak.
“McDonald’s stopped using fresh slivered onions and quarter pound beef patties in several states while the investigation is ongoing to identify the ingredient causing illness,” the CDC wrote in its food safety alert. “McDonald’s is proactively making these changes while investigators work to confirm the contaminated ingredient.”
The quarter-pound patties are used exclusively on McDonald’s Quarter Pounders, and the slivered onions are primarily used on that menu item and not others, officials said.
The CDC is also working to determine if the contaminated ingredients were sent to any other restaurants or businesses.
An infection from E. coli bacteria can cause severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea and vomiting. Other more serious symptoms include high fever, dehydration, inability to keep liquids down and dizziness.
Symptoms usually begin around three to four days after consuming contaminated food.
While most people recover without treatment after about a week, E. coli can produce the potentially deadly “Shiga toxin,” which could cause a person to develop serious kidney problems that require hospitalization.
McDonald’s Quarter Pounders will be temporarily removed from menus in select states while the investigation intensifies, the CDC said.
For more information about E. coli, including signs, symptoms and treatment options, click here.
