One person died and dozens fell ill from E. coli infections linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers in 10 US states, according to Reuters.
An outbreak linked to one of the most popular dishes on McDonald’s menu sickened 49 people and sent 10 to hospital, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported on Tuesday.
The latest report of an E. coli outbreak crashed shares of the world’s largest fast-food restaurant chain by about 6 per cent. The incident could also put pressure on US cattle futures on Wednesday, jeopardising beef demand.
The specific ingredient linked to the disease was not identified, but researchers focused on chopped onions and fresh beef patties, McDonald’s North America Chief Supply Chain Officer Cesar Piña stated.
The initial findings from the investigation indicate that a subset of illnesses may be linked to slivered onions used in the Quarter Pounder and sourced by a single supplier that serves three distribution centers.
McDonald’s is temporarily removing Quarter Pounder from restaurants in affected regions including Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. Kansas, Missouri, Oregon, Iowa, Wisconsin and Montana reported one sick person each.
Symptoms of E. coli include severe stomach cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting. According to the Colorado Department of Public Health, most people with the infection start feeling ill three to four days after eating or drinking something containing the bacteria.
E. coli strain O157:H7 was responsible for an outbreak in 1993, killing four children who ate undercooked hamburgers at Jack in the Box restaurants.
