An E. coli outbreak linked to onions served on McDonald’s quarter-pound burgers has sickened at least 104 people in the United States, 34 of whom have been hospitalized, federal health officials reported Wednesday.
Cases have been detected in 14 states, according to an update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One person died in Colorado and four more have developed a potentially life-threatening kidney complication.
At least 30 cases were reported in Colorado, another 19 in Montana, 13 in Nebraska, 10 in New Mexico, eight in Missouri, eight in Utah, six in Wyoming, three in Kansas, two in Michigan, one in Iowa, one in Carolina of the North, one in Oregon, one in Washington and one in Wisconsin.
The infections were reported between September 12 and October 21. At least seven of those affected said they ate at McDonald’s during a trip.
Sliced onions served on Quarter Pounder burgers were identified as the possible source of the outbreak, according to the CDC. Taylor Farms, a California-based agricultural company, recalled onions possibly linked to the outbreak.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted analyzes in which a type of E. coli bacteria that produces a dangerous toxin was detected in a sample of onions, but it did not match the strain that caused the outbreak, officials reported.
The risk is low, according to authorities
Restaurants in several states removed quarter-pound burgers from menus during the early days of the outbreak. The onions that were served in McDonald’s establishments have already exceeded their shelf life and are no longer available to the public. CDC officials said the risk to the public remains low.
The type of bacteria involved in this outbreak causes approximately 74,000 infections each year in the United States, resulting in more than 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths annually, according to the CDC.
Symptoms develop quickly, within the first two days after consuming contaminated food, and usually include fever, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, and signs of dehydration: little urine, increased thirst, and dizziness.
The infection can cause a serious type of kidney injury, especially in children under 5 years of age. E. coli poisoning in young children requires immediate medical attention.
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