The number of E. coli cases linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders has risen to 90, with the likely source being slivered onions used on the burgers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One person has died and 27 have been hospitalized so far, with at least two developing a rare kidney illness. A 15-year-old girl in Colorado experienced symptoms after eating the burgers and has since been hospitalized with kidney damage. McDonald’s has pulled all Quarter Pounders in affected states from restaurants, and the CDC says the public risk is very low. The true number of cases is likely higher, as most people with E. coli infections are never tested. Thirteen states have reported cases, with the Food and Drug Administration pointing to the slivered onions supplied by Taylor Farms Colorado Springs as the likely source of contamination. McDonald’s has stopped sourcing onions from the company and will sell Quarter Pounders without onions in affected stores. Other restaurant chains in Colorado have also removed onions from their menus as a precaution, though there are no reports of E. coli cases linked to their food.
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CDC links McDonald’s E. coli outbreak to slivered onions, with cases now at 90
