The Chicago Health Department urged anyone who has eaten a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burger and experienced E. coli symptoms to seek medical attention amid a multistate outbreak which has sickened dozens and caused at least one death.
The Chicago Department of Public Health said that while no cases of E. coli related to the outbreak have been reported in Chicago or Illinois so far, it is aware of cases being reported across the United States.
“McDonald’s no longer serves Quarter Pounder burgers in some areas to protect its customers, but the CDPH recommends seeking medical attention if you ate a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burger and experience symptoms of E. coli, such as fever above 102 degrees F, vomiting or excessive diarrhea or bloody stools,” the department said in an alert Wednesday. “Most people recover from the infection without treatment, but some may develop serious kidney problems. People at highest risk of E. coli infection include children under 5 years of age, adults over 65 years of age, and people with weakened immune systems. weakened.”
McDonald’s spokespeople said Wednesday that E. coli is a difficult pathogen to track, but they are working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate the ongoing outbreak.
In a message to customers, the company said it was removing certain ingredients from its menus in some locations “out of an abundance of caution” while investigators work to determine the exact source.
In total, 49 people have been sickened so far in 10 US states, including Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin. Ten people have been hospitalized and at least one death has been reported.
“All interviewees reported eating at McDonald’s before their illness began, and most specifically mentioned eating a Quarter Pounder burger,” the CDC said in an alert Tuesday, calling it a “rapidly evolving outbreak investigation.”
The researchers have focused their research on two ingredients so far: fresh sliced onions and fresh beef patties.
The Food and Drug Administration said the outbreak was likely caused by sliced onions in Quarter Pounder burgers from a supplier that serves three distribution centers.
“McDonald’s has recalled the ingredients in these burgers and they will not be available for sale in some states,” the CDC reported.
In the two weeks in which illnesses have been reported so far, McDonald’s spokespeople said about a million Quarter Pounder burgers may have been sold at the affected locations.
Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald’s USA, told TODAY on Wednesday that “food safety is a top priority.”
“It’s the top priority for our suppliers as well. “This is something we consider everyone’s business,” he said.
What to know about the outbreak:
Which states have been affected so far?
The outbreak has been reported in at least 10 US states so far, with most cases reported in Colorado and Nebraska, although several Midwestern states have also reported cases.
Of the cases reported so far, 26 have been reported in Colorado, plus one death, and nine have been reported in Nebraska. Other states that have reported cases include Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
However, the CDC warns that the outbreak may not be limited to states with illnesses discovered so far “and the actual number of sick people is likely much higher than the number reported.” This is because illnesses can take time to report and many people recover from E. coli without needing treatment.
Below is the full number of people sick by state so far:
Oregon – 1
Montana – 1
Utah – 4
Wyoming – 4
Colorado – 26
Nebraska – 9
Kansas -1
Missouri – 1
Iowa – 1
wisconsin 1
Of the 49 people sick, at least 10 were hospitalized, the CDC said, including one person who developed hemolytic syndrome, a serious condition that can cause kidney failure.
One person, an older adult from Colorado, died from the outbreak, the CDC said.
The ages of sick people range from 13 to 88, the CDC said.
What ingredients are linked to the outbreak and where are they being removed?
The exact source of the outbreak remains unclear, but researchers believe it is likely related to the freshly sliced onions or fresh beef patties used in the Quarter Pounder.
McDonald’s said in its statement that the removal of ingredients was “out of an abundance of caution,” but includes locations in Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as parts of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma.
“Preliminary tracking and distribution information reviewed by the FDA shows that sliced onions served in Quarter Pounders are a likely source of contamination,” the CDC stated. “The FDA is working quickly to confirm that these onions are a source of this outbreak and to determine if these onions were served or sold at other businesses.”
Symptoms of E. coli
The CDC urged anyone who experiences E. coli symptoms after eating at McDonald’s to call their healthcare provider.
According to the CDC, most people infected with E. coli experience severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting. Symptoms typically appear within three to four days after ingesting the bacteria, and most people recover within five to seven days.
Symptoms include:
- Diarrhea and fever greater than 102°F
- Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not getting better
- bloody diarrhea
- So much vomiting you can’t keep the liquids down
- Signs of dehydration, such as:
- Don’t urinate a lot
- Dry mouth and throat
- Feeling dizzy when you get up
- Some people may also develop serious kidney problems known as hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, which requires hospitalization. The CDC noted that at least one child experienced that symptom in connection with this outbreak.
What is E. Coli?
According to the Mayo ClinicE. coli stands for Escherichia coli, a bacteria that normally lives “in the intestines of healthy people and animals.”
“Most types of E. coli are harmless or cause relatively brief diarrhea. But some strains can cause severe stomach cramps, bloody diarrhea, and vomiting,” the clinic reported.
People can be exposed to the bacteria through contaminated water or food, particularly raw vegetables or undercooked minced meat.
Food safety concerns
The McDonald’s outbreak comes amid a series of large product recalls recently, including one that affected several brands of frozen products and another that affected hundreds of meat and poultry products.
How worrying is it?
“It’s very concerning for people like me who have spent 35 years doing research,” said Trevor Suslow, a food safety expert at the University of California, Davis. “There are so many different recalls and outbreaks right now and each one is somewhat unique, but they often share common characteristics of gaps in awareness and prevention around cleanliness and sanitation.”
Experts recommend staying up to date with the latest news and product recalls from the USDA, FDA, and CDC.
“Typically it’s a bacterial recall and those are the ones we’re most concerned about. It can be as simple as a protocol violation,” said James Oehmke, an economist and professor at Northwestern University.
Oehmke says government agencies have gotten better over the years at identifying outbreaks more quickly.
“The food supply chain in the United States serves more than one billion meals a day, or about one billion meals a day, and the vast majority of them are safe meals,” Oehmke said.