Ten people have been hospitalized and one person has died after E. coli infections linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburger in 10 states, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said on Tuesday.
The death was reported in an older person in Colorado, and one child has been hospitalized with severe kidney complications, the CDC reported.
Forty nine people from 10 states have fallen sick from the same strain of E. coli, the CDC said. Most sick people are from Colorado or Nebraska.
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. The U.S. Agriculture Department, the Food and Drug Administration and state health officials are also investigating.
The specific ingredient linked to the illness has not yet been identified but investigators are focused on fresh, slivered onions and fresh beef patties, the CDC said.
McDonald’s has proactively removed the slivered onions and beef patties used for the quarter pounder hamburgers from stores in the affected states while the investigation continues, the company informed the CDC.
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McDonald’s did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Global News has asked McDonald’s Canada and Health Canada if there were any reported infections in Canada and if any affected ingredients have been pulled from Canadian stores.
E. coli bacteria are harbored in the guts of animals and found in the environment. 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 comes in an already tough year for the Chicago-based chain. 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 $5 meal deal, which was introduced at U.S. restaurants in late June and was recently extended through December. The deal doesn’t include the Quarter Pounder.
McDonald’s shares dropped 9% in after-hours trading Tuesday after the CDC’s announcement.
Quarter Pounders in some states may be temporarily unavailable, according to the CDC’s statement.
In 2015, burrito chain Chipotle saw its sales battered and reputation hit due to E.coli outbreaks in several states.
—With files from the Associated Press and Global News