One person has died and nearly 50 have fallen ill after eating at a fast food chain. Onions used in sandwiches are among the possible sources of bacterial contamination. One person has died and dozens have fallen ill in the United States due to food poisoning linked to McDonald’s burgers, US health authorities said Tuesday (10/22).
The outbreak of E. coli bacteria linked to the Quarter Pounder burger (similar in Brazil to the Quarteirão), one of the most popular dishes on the fast food chain’s menu, has caused the illness of 49 people – of whom ten were hospitalized – in ten states across the country.
Colorado has reported the highest number of cases, with 26 sick customers, according to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
The strain involved, E. coli O157:H7, can cause serious illness and was the source of a 1993 outbreak that killed four children who ate undercooked hamburgers at Jack in the Box restaurants.
The news sent shares of the world’s largest fast food chain plummeting by around 6%.
All people interviewed as part of an investigation into the outbreak reported eating at McDonald’s before symptoms began, and most said they ate the Quarter Pounder hamburger, according to the CDC.
Onions under suspicion
The specific ingredient linked to the illness has not yet been identified, but investigators are focusing on fresh onions and fresh beef burgers, the CDC said.
“Initial findings from the investigation indicate that a subset of illnesses may be linked to fresh sliced onions used in the Quarter Pounder and originate from a single supplier, serving three distribution centers,” the supply chain director said in a statement of McDonald’s in North America, Cesar Piña.
McDonald’s has proactively removed the fresh onions and beef patties used in the Quarter Pounder from stores in affected states as the investigation continues, the company told the CDC.
U.S. food safety attorney Bill Marler, who represented a victim of the Jack in the Box outbreak, said more cases of the disease could emerge. Onions have been linked to previous E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks, he said.
According to Marler, a founder of Marler Clark in Seattle, beef contamination is less common thanks to food safety measures. “It would take a lot of restaurants to undercook their meat,” he said.
McDonald’s is temporarily removing the Quarter Pounder from restaurants in affected areas, including Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, the company said in a statement, adding that it is working with suppliers to replenish supply next week.
Symptoms include cramps and vomiting
Symptoms of E. coli include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting. Most people who get an infection start feeling sick three to four days after eating or drinking something that contains the bacteria, the Colorado Department of Public Health said.
However, symptoms of the disease can appear one to 10 days after exposure, the department added.
In 2015, burrito chain Chipotle saw its sales and reputation take a hit due to E.coli outbreaks in several states. That outbreak was linked to a different strain of E. coli, which typically causes less severe disease than E. coli O157:H7.
MD/CN (Reuters, EFE)
Source: Terra
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