Public health officials are investigating a deadly outbreak of E. coli O157 infections linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 75 cases have been confirmed across 13 states, with 22 hospitalizations and one death.
Investigation Details
The outbreak was first identified on October 22, 2024. Since then, 26 new cases have been reported.
Those affected reported eating at McDonald’s shortly before falling ill, though investigators have yet to determine which specific ingredient is contaminated.
McDonald’s has temporarily stopped serving Quarter Pounders in several states, including Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, and parts of Idaho, Iowa, and Missouri.
Both the restaurant’s fresh slivered onions and Quarter Pounder beef patties are under scrutiny and have been removed from affected locations as a precaution.
Taylor Farms, the supplier of onions to McDonald’s, has voluntarily recalled some batches of yellow onions distributed to food service operators, the CDC says.