McDonald’s E. coli Outbreak: 75 Reported Ill Across the U.S.

he E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s has now spread across 13 states in the U.S., with at least 75 individuals affected, health officials reported Friday. The outbreak has resulted in 22 hospitalizations, and two severe cases of kidney complications—hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)—have developed in one adult and one child. The only fatality reported so far occurred in Colorado.

At present, the outbreak is confined to the U.S., with McDonald’s Canada clarifying that its operations remain unaffected, as they do not use the implicated ingredients.

While a definitive cause is yet to be confirmed, initial findings suggest that uncooked slivered onions used in Quarter Pounder burgers may be the source. McDonald’s has identified Taylor Farms, a California-based produce supplier, as the provider of these onions, specifically from their Colorado Springs facility. “We have decided to indefinitely halt sourcing onions from Taylor Farms’ Colorado Springs location,” McDonald’s stated.

The CDC’s latest update on Friday indicated that cases have now been confirmed in three additional states—Michigan, New Mexico, and Washington—

• joining the previously affected states of

  Colorado

  Kansas

  Utah

  Wyoming

  Idaho, Iowa

  Missouri

  Montana

  Nebraska

  Nevada

  New Mexico

  Oklahoma

McDonald’s has confirmed that all other menu items, including beef products such as the Cheeseburger, Hamburger, Big Mac, McDouble, and Double Cheeseburger, remain “unaffected and available.” However, the company acknowledged that products from the Colorado facility were distributed to about 900 of its restaurants, primarily in Colorado, Kansas, and Wyoming.

“Thanks to product actions taken by McDonald’s and Taylor Farms, the CDC believes the ongoing risk to the public is very low,” the CDC stated Friday.

E. coli, or Escherichia coli, is commonly found in the intestines of humans and animals. While most E. coli strains are harmless, some—such as O157

, the strain linked to this outbreak—can lead to severe intestinal infection. Learn more about E. coli infections, how onions and other foods can become contaminated, and which foods are most often linked to foodborne illness.