October 30th 2024.
On Wednesday, federal officials provided an update on the E. coli outbreak that has been linked to McDonald's restaurants. According to the latest report, there were 15 new cases reported, including three in Colorado. In total, there have been 90 people affected in 13 states, with 27 people requiring hospitalization. Sadly, one person in Colorado has passed away due to the outbreak.
The number of cases in Colorado has risen from 26 to 29, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Investigators have identified raw, slivered onions on McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers as the likely source of the E. coli contamination. It was discovered that the onions came from a single supplier, Taylor Farms, based in California. As a precautionary measure, the company has issued a recall for the yellow onions sent to McDonald's and other restaurant chains.
In response to the outbreak, the FDA has begun inspections at Taylor Farms' processing center in Colorado Springs, as well as an "onion grower of interest" in Washington state. However, the specific grower has not been named. The FDA also noted that more than 80% of the individuals who reported E. coli infections had consumed McDonald's products containing fresh, slivered onions.
This outbreak has caused concern and raised questions about E. coli. What exactly is it? How does one get sick from it? To provide some answers, we have put together a guide on the bacteria behind the McDonald's outbreak. Additionally, a teenager from Grand Junction was hospitalized with kidney failure after consuming a McDonald's Quarter Pounder, highlighting the severity of the situation.
McDonald's restaurants have announced that they will resume serving Quarter Pounders at hundreds of their locations after conducting tests that ruled out beef patties as the source of the outbreak. It was determined that the strain of E. coli causing the outbreak can be dangerous and lead to serious health complications such as diarrhea, kidney failure, and other problems. Each year in the United States, E. coli causes approximately 74,000 infections, leading to 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths, according to the CDC.
FDA officials have reassured the public that the risk of illness is currently low, as the contaminated onions have been recalled and are no longer available. They also noted that all reported cases occurred before the onions were removed from the market. As a precautionary measure, we recommend signing up for our weekly newsletter to receive updates on the E. coli outbreak and other health news directly in your inbox.
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