Last updated: November 13, 2024
Overview
CDC, FDA, USDA FSIS, and public health officials in multiple states are investigating an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections. Most people in this outbreak are reporting eating the Quarter Pounder hamburger at McDonald’s before becoming sick. It is not yet known which specific food ingredient is contaminated.
Epidemiologic and traceback information show that fresh, slivered onions are the likely source of illness in this outbreak. Taylor Farms, the supplier of slivered onions to the affected McDonald's locations, also recalled onions. Food service businesses were contacted directly by Taylor Farms. These onions are past their shelf life and are not available for sale. The likelihood of contaminated onions still being available for sale is low.
As of 11/13/24, there are 104 cases from 14 states including: Colorado, Montana, Kansas, North Carolina, Iowa, Missouri, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
CDC Food Safety Alert: E. coli Outbreak Linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders, CDC
Contaminated Food
- McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers are making people sick, with most illnesses in Colorado and Nebraska.
- Quarter Pounder hamburgers will not be available temporarily in some states while McDonald's makes some supply changes.
- McDonald's stores in Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, and portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma have temporarily stopped using Quarter Pounder slivered onions and beef patties.
- McDonald's is proactively making these changes while investigators work to confirm the contaminated ingredient. Quarter pound beef patties are only used on Quarter Pounders. Fresh slivered onions are primarily used on Quarter Pounder hamburgers and not other menu items.
- Investigators are working to confirm which ingredient in these hamburgers is making people sick and if it went to other restaurants or stores.
Washington State Case Information
Advice to Consumers
- Contact your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these severe STEC E. coli symptoms:
- Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F
- Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving.
- Bloody diarrhea
- So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down.
- Signs of dehydration, such as:
- Not peeing much
- Dry mouth and throat
- Feeling dizzy when standing up
About Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC)
E. coli bacteria normally live in the intestines of humans and animals. Many strains of E. coli bacteria exist, and most of them are harmless or beneficial to human health. STEC are strains of E. coli that produce Shiga toxin (such as E. coli O157:H7) and can cause serious illness in people.
Symptoms of E. coli Infection
People usually get sick from Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) 2 to 8 days (average of 3 to 4 days) after swallowing the germ. Symptoms often include:
- Severe stomach cramps
- Diarrhea (often bloody)
- Vomiting
- Low grade fever (less than 101ºF/38.5ºC)
Some people with a STEC infection may get a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Symptoms of HUS include decreased urine production, dark or tea-colored urine, and losing pink color in cheeks and inside the lower eyelids.
Prevention
- Avoid eating high-risk foods, especially undercooked ground beef, unpasteurized milk or juice, soft cheeses made from unpasteurized milk, or sprouts.
- Use a food thermometer to make sure that ground beef has reached a safe internal temperature of 160° F.
- Thoroughly wash fresh produce before eating.
- Wash hands before, during, and after preparing food, after diapering infants, and after contact with cows, sheep, or goats, their food or treats, or their living environment.
- E. coli Facts, Foodsafety.gov
- E. coli, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention