At McDonald’s in the United States, one person has died, and 49 others have been hospitalized after consuming hamburgers contaminated with E. coli across ten states. According to Reuters and other sources, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that the E. coli strain O157:H7 was detected in McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers. This particular strain is known to cause serious illness and was previously identified as the cause of a 1993 incident where four children died after eating undercooked hamburgers at a Jack in the Box fast-food restaurant in the United States.
The CDC explained that one death and 49 hospitalizations have been reported across ten states due to this outbreak, with most affected individuals stating they ate McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers. Most of the victims are from Colorado and Nebraska. Cesar Peña, McDonald’s North America supply chain chief, mentioned that early investigation results indicate a possible link to sliced onions used in the hamburgers, which were supplied by one vendor to three distribution centers.
In response to the food poisoning incident, McDonald’s has temporarily halted sales of Quarter Pounder hamburgers in the ten affected states and is actively recalling the beef patties and onions used for these burgers. As a result of this incident, McDonald’s stock price plummeted by about 6% in after-hours trading.