E. coli cases climb to 104 in McDonald’s outbreak tied to slivered onions

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E. coli outbreak tied to onions on McDonald’s Quarter Pounders has sickened 104 people across 14 states, prompting recalls, lawsuits, and temporary menu changes as the company works to ensure food safety.

At least 104 people have been reported sick, with 34 hospitalized, in an outbreak of E. coli food poisoning tied to onions served on McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers, federal health officials said Wednesday. ​​Cases have been detected in 14 states, according to an update from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One person even died in Colorado, and four people have developed potentially life-threatening kidney disease complications as a result of this outbreak.

At least 30 cases were reported in Colorado, followed by 19 in Montana, 13 in Nebraska, 10 in New Mexico, eight in Missouri and Utah, six in Wyoming, three in Kansas, two in Michigan, and one each in Iowa, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin. Illnesses were reported between Sept. 12 and Oct. 21. At least seven people who got sick said they ate McDonald’s food while traveling.

The CDC said slivered onions served on the Quarter Pounders were the likely source of the outbreak. Taylor Farms, a California-based produce grower, recalled onions potentially linked to the outbreak. Tests by the US Food and Drug Administration detected a type of E. coli bacteria that produces a dangerous toxin in one sample of the onions, but it did not match the strain that made people sick, officials reported. 

Quarter Pounders were removed from menus in several states during the early days of the outbreak. McDonald’s officials said Wednesday that the company identified an alternate supplier for the 900 restaurants that temporarily stopped serving the burgers with onions. Over the past week, those restaurants resumed selling Quarter Pounders with slivered onions.

According to the CDC, the type of bacteria implicated in this outbreak causes about 74,000 infections in the US annually, leading to more than 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths each year. Symptoms occur quickly, within a day or two of eating contaminated food, and typically include fever, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, and signs of dehydration— little or no urination, increased thirst, and dizziness. The infection can cause a type of serious kidney injury, especially in kids younger than five. E. coli poisoning in young children requires immediate medical attention. 

McDonald's is investing $100 million to "accelerate recovery and support the most heavily impacted franchisees," the company told CBS News in a statement on Saturday addressing the company’s next steps after this outbreak. The statement continued, "A total of $65 million will be invested into supporting franchisees who have lost business, targeting those in the states that were most affected.” 

FDA officials said in a statement that “there does not appear to be a continued food safety concern related to this outbreak at McDonald’s restaurants.” Several lawsuits have been filed against McDonald’s since the outbreak was announced, including a proposed class action. McDonald’s said Wednesday in an online statement that “food safety is something we will never compromise on, and we remain committed to doing the right thing.”