What is known about the investigation into the E. coli outbreak at McDonald’s?
(CNN) – Flash coli McDonald’s Quarter Pounder linked to hamburgers has caused at least 49 illnesses in 10 states, including one death.
This is what we know.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a food safety alert on Tuesday, warning that dozens of people reported eating a Quarter Pounder hamburger at McDonald’s before falling ill.
No specific ingredient has been confirmed as the source of the outbreak, but the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says chopped onions or beef patties in sandwiches are likely sources of contamination.
McDonald’s has removed Quarter Pounders from menus in about a fifth of its stores. The company has stopped using onions as well as quarter-pound beef burgers in several states: Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as parts of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma. The investigation is ongoing, according to the CDC.
According to the agency, beef patties are used only for the quarter pounder, and chopped onions are used primarily for the quarter pounder and not for other dishes. According to the FDA, chopped onions and other types of beef patties used by McDonald’s were not implicated in this outbreak.
Escherichia coli, or coli, These are common bacteria, but some types can cause illness. Infections can occur after someone eats the bacteria, often by drinking contaminated food or water. It can also be spread from person to person due to poor bathroom hygiene.
People with infections coli They may exhibit symptoms such as severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Symptoms usually appear three or four days after the bacteria enters the body.
Although most people who get sick recover without treatment within a week, others may develop serious kidney problems and require hospitalization.
According to the CDC, older adults, children under 5, and people with weakened immune systems are at greatest risk of infection.
infections caused coli The new outbreak has caused at least 10 hospitalizations, including a child who suffered hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious complication that can develop from infection by the bacteria, according to the CDC. An elderly man died.
According to the CDC, most of the illnesses associated with the outbreak have been reported in Colorado and Nebraska, but the agency says the outbreak could spread beyond those states. Illnesses have also been reported in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
The CDC recommends that people call their doctor if they have recently eaten a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder and experience severe symptoms colisuch as fever above 38°C and diarrhea, especially bloody diarrhea or diarrhea that has not improved within three days, vomiting that limits fluid intake, or signs of dehydration.
It may take weeks to determine whether the illness is part of an outbreak, but the CDC said the investigation into the McDonald’s outbreak is “quickly evolving.”
The agency said the outbreak is expected to grow, with new cases reported “as they become available” as scientists establish genetic links between the outbreak strain and bacteria that cause infections in people.
According to the CDC, the onset of illnesses associated with the outbreak was recorded between September 27 and October 11. But the outbreak’s start date could also change as cases are identified, according to an official familiar with the investigation.
Outbreaks of this type can also quickly subside once the contaminated food or ingredients are removed from the market. This requires a thorough investigation to ensure that all potential distribution channels are identified and stopped.
The president of McDonald’s US said it was safe to eat at McDonald’s and that the affected ingredients were likely outside the restaurants’ supply chain.
“We’re confident you can go to McDonald’s and enjoy our classics” without getting sick, McDonald’s US President Joe Erlinger said on NBC’s “Today Show” on Wednesday.
Quarter Pounder burgers will be temporarily removed from menus in some states while the company makes supply changes, according to the CDC.
Erlinger said he believes “if there was a contaminated product in our supply chain, it is very likely that it has already been eliminated through that supply chain,” but acknowledged that the number of reported illnesses could increase as the CDC investigates and traces cases. .
“Safely serving customers in every restaurant, every day is our top priority,” McDonald’s said in a statement Tuesday.
The company fact sheet outlines food safety protocols in place, including daily temperature checks and hourly hand washing for employees. He also notes that the burgers are cooked to order at temperatures that exceed FDA regulations.
CDC data released this summer shows foodborne illnesses are on the rise in the United States. colisignificantly exceed federal goals for reducing foodborne illnesses.
There were more than 5 E. coli illnesses per 100,000 people in the United States in 2023, up 25% from five years earlier and about 40% above target.
Bacteria Campylobacter It is the most common pathogen causing foodborne illness, causing more than 19 illnesses per 100,000 people, up 22% from five years ago and twice the federal target.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), infections caused by these bacteria usually occur when eating raw or undercooked poultry, and it can cause diarrhea in people.
Salmonella infections have not increased in recent years, but the bacterium will still cause about 14 illnesses per 100,000 people in the United States in 2023.
Listeria caused about 0.3 cases per 100,000 people in the U.S. in 2023, but has been responsible for several large and deadly outbreaks this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In late July, Boar’s Head recalled more than 3.2 million kilograms of ready-to-eat liverwurst and other deli meats amid reports of dozens of hospitalizations and at least 10 deaths and the recall of nearly 5.4 million pounds of ready-to-eat meat products. – Eating meat and poultry produced by BrucePac has impacted schools, retail stores and restaurants across the country.
— CNN’s Nadia Coonan, Karma Hassan, Brenda Goodman and Meg Tyrrell contributed to this report.