A CDC Food Safety Alert regarding an outbreak of E. coli infections linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders has been posted at https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks/e-coli-O157.html

Key Points:

• 49 people from 10 states have gotten sick from the same strain of E. coli O157:H7. Most sick people are from Colorado (27) or Nebraska (9).
• 10 people have been hospitalized. One older person in Colorado has died. Additionally, one child is hospitalized with complications of hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS.
• Everyone interviewed has reported eating at McDonald’s before their illness started, and most specifically mentioned eating a Quarter Pounder hamburger.
• The specific ingredient linked to illness has not yet been identified, but investigators are focused on two ingredients in particular: fresh slivered onions, and fresh beef patties.
• McDonald’s reported to CDC that they proactively removed the slivered onions and beef patties used for the Quarter Pounder hamburgers from stores in the affected states while the investigation continues. Quarter Pounder hamburgers in some states may be temporarily unavailable.

What You Should Do:

• If you have severe symptoms of E. coli infection after eating a Quarter Pounder hamburger at McDonald’s, seek health care and tell your provider about what you ate.

E. coli Symptoms:

• Most people infected with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli experience severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting.
• o Symptoms usually start 3 to 4 days after swallowing the bacteria.
• o Most people recover without treatment after 5 to 7 days.
• Some people may develop serious kidney problems (hemolytic uremic syndrome, also called HUS) and would need to be hospitalized.
• For more information about E. coli, see the About Escherichia coli Infection.

If you have questions about cases in a particular state, please call that state’s health department.

Thank you, CDC Media Support Branch 404-639-3286 media@cdc.gov