At least 75 people have gotten sick after eating McDonald’s Quarter Pounders linked to a deadly E. coli strain, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. The cases have been reported in 13 states, with 22 people hospitalized and one death reported. Two individuals have been hospitalized with a severe kidney condition. The CDC has highlighted slivered onions served on the Quarter Pounders as the likely source of contamination, leading to a recall by Taylor Farms, the supplier of the onions. Other restaurant chains have removed onions from their menu out of caution. McDonald’s has removed the implicated products from at least 12 states, reducing the risk to the public. Two lawsuits have been filed against McDonald’s by individuals who fell ill after eating there, with a total of 15 people represented by a food safety law firm. The CDC and FDA are continuing to investigate the outbreak and are monitoring for any additional cases. Symptoms of E. coli infection include vomiting, diarrhea, and fever, with most cases recovering on their own without being tested. Overall, the risk to the public is considered low now that the contaminated products have been removed from McDonald’s restaurants.
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