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• Posted October 25, 2024

E. Coli Outbreak Linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounders Widens to 75 Cases in 13 States; 22 Hospitalized

An outbreak of E. coli illness linked to onions used in McDonald's Quarter Pounders has expanded to now include 75 cases across 13 states, U.S. health officials announced Friday.

That's up from 49 cases in 10 states reported on Monday. The three new states with illnesses are Michigan, New Mexico and Washington.

"Of 61 people with information available, 22 have been hospitalized and 2 people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can cause kidney failure," the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a statement released Friday. "One death has been reported from an older adult in Colorado."

For now, the outbreak appears to be limited to McDonald's Quarter Pounders.

"Of 42 people interviewed, all reported eating at McDonald’s before their illness started, and most specifically mentioned eating a Quarter Pounder hamburger," the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention said in an statement issued Friday. No other retail chains or retailers have been identified as a source of illness, the agency added.

McDonald’s has already stopped using the onions, as well as quarter-pound beef patties, in several states while the investigation continues.

Taylor Farms, the Colorado supplier of the suspect onions, has also issued a recall.

Other fast food chains are now pulling the onions from their menus as a cautionary measure.

Representatives for Burger King, Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut all told NBC News that some of their restaurants will remove the onions from their menus.

In a statement to NBC's TODAY.com on Thursday, a Burger King spokesperson said that, “We have reviewed our restaurant supply given recent announcements. There is no crossover with McDonald’s for the vast majority of our onion facilities.”

However, the spokesperson added that, “About 5% of our restaurants do receive onions distributed from the Taylor Farms Colorado facility.”

“Despite no contact from health authorities and no indications of illness, we proactively asked our 5% of restaurants who received whole onions distributed by this facility to dispose of them immediately two days ago, and we are in the process of restocking them from other facilities,” the statement concluded. 

Yum! Brands, which oversees some Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC outlets, said it is also joining the effort to safeguard customers.

“As we continue to monitor the recently reported E. coli outbreak, and out of an abundance of caution, we have proactively removed fresh onions from select Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants,” a spokesperson told TODAY.com. “We will continue following supplier and regulatory guidance to ensure the ongoing safety and quality of our food.”

Meanwhile, McDonald's USA president Joe Erlinger told NBC News Wednesday that, “we are very confident that you can go to McDonald’s and enjoy our classics. We took swift action yesterday to remove the Quarter Pounder from our menu.”

"This is a fast-moving outbreak investigation," the CDC said in the first food safety alert it issued on Monday.

According to the FDA, McDonald’s has removed the slivered onions and quarter-pound patties from stores in Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming and portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma. In other states, Quarter Pounder burgers may not be available. However, the CDC noted the outbreak could eventually extend beyond the affected states.

E. coli infections include symptoms such as severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever and vomiting, which typically begin three or four days after exposure. Although most people recover without treatment within a week, others can develop serious kidney problems and require hospitalization, according to the CDC.

Anyone who becomes ill after eating a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder should get medical attention and tell the provider what they ate, the CDC stressed.

More information

The CDC has more on E. coli.

SOURCES: U.S. Foods, recall notice, Oct. 24, 2024; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, news releases, Oct. 22 and 25, 2024; U.S. Food and Drug Administration, safety alerts, Oct. 22 and 25, 2024; McDonald's, statement, Oct. 22, 2024; New York Times; NBC News;