At least one person has died and eleven others have been hospitalized following a deadly E. coli outbreak that has been linked to contaminated beef patties or onions used to make McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers.
Throughout the investigation, ingredients are changed in other states for suspected contamination by beef patties or onions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that the commonly known sandwich from McDonald’s, named the Quarter Pounder, was related to a recent outbreak of E. coli.
That outbreak had sent ten people to the hospital and killed one. Although the source of contamination has not yet been identified, officials have concluded that slivered onions or the beef patties from the sandwich are the primary suspects.
The firm, by way of caution, has removed the product-Quarter Pounders from the shelf in about 20 percent of the McDonald’s chain locations, mostly located in Colorado, Kansas, and Utah.
Taylor Farms, a supplier of yellow onions to McDonald’s, also announced voluntary withdrawal of yellow onions from the market due to alleged contamination without an actual positive test for E. coli contamination.
At their worst, E. coli infections can become severe in young children and the elderly, even in people who already have weakened immune systems.
Symptoms of this infection appear typically within days after exposure and include severe stomach cramping, diarrhea, and fever.
Health officials are thus asking all persons who recently consumed a Quarter Pounder to see a medical professional if symptoms appear.
The CDC continues to investigate; it issued a warning that there is potential for further cases. McDonald’s responded to the situation by reassuring its customers and stating that safety measures are underway; it emphasized the fact that the contaminated product probably cannot exist anymore.
Nonetheless, Quarter Pounders will remain off the menu in affected states until further notice as the investigation continues.
