An E coli outbreak was linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders

Investigations on the outbreak of the Quarter Pounder disease in Florida, New Mexico, Idaho and Washington, and a single source at McDonald’s

Everyone interviewed in connection with the outbreak had reported eating at McDonald’s before falling ill and most mentioned eating Quarter Pounder hamburgers, the CDC said. State health officials are also looking into the matter.

The death was reported in an older person in Colorado, and one child has been hospitalized with severe kidney complications, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

The infections were reported in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Colorado has the most cases, followed by Nebraska.

A specific ingredient has not been identified as the cause, but investigators are focused on onions and beef. According to a FDA investigation, there is a chance that the onions are from the burgers. The hamburger patties are being looked into.

McDonald’s officials said that initial findings suggest that some illnesses are tied to onions from a single supplier. Quarter Pounder was temporarily removed from restaurants in Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma due to the company stopping distribution of the onions.

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The guts of animals and the environment are home to E. coli. Infections can cause severe illness, including fever, stomach cramps and bloody diarrhea. People who develop symptoms of E. coli poisoning should seek health care immediately and tell the provider what they ate.

The news is bad for McDonald’s, which is based in Chicago. Its global same-store sales fell for the first time in nearly four years in the second quarter as inflation-weary customers skipped eating out or chose cheaper options. The company responded with a limited time $5 meal deal at their U.S. restaurants. The Quarter Pounder is not included in the deal.

Over 74,000 infections in the US are caused by the type of E coli O157:H7 that is implicated in this outbreak. Infections are especially dangerous for children younger than 5 and can cause acute kidney failure.

McDonald’s said Wednesday that customers should feel confident ordering from its restaurants despite a deadly E. coli outbreak linked to its Quarter Pounder hamburgers.

The people are being questioned by public health officials about the food they ate a week before they got sick. 16 people reported eating a beef hamburger, all of whom said they had eaten at McDonald’s. Twelve reported eating a Quarter Pounder.

McDonald’s said it has extensive food safety practices, and that nothing in the government’s investigation has indicated that there is an issue with its food preparation.

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Donald Schaffner, a food safety expert at Rutgers University, said the illness would be apparent to anyone who was affected by E. coli. “If you ate these burgers in September and now it’s the middle of October and you didn’t get sick, you’re probably OK,” he said.

McDonald’s U.S. President Joe Erlinger said it’s possible the contaminated product has already worked its way through McDonald’s supply chain. But the company will work closely with the government and cooperate with the investigation, he said. Erlinger declined to name the supplier or say if it supplies other restaurant chains or grocery stores.