“E. coli Cases Rise to 104 in McDonald’s Outbreak Linked to Slivered Onions”

United States: An outbreak of E. coli that is associated with onions used in McDonald fast foods namely the Quarter Pounder burgers has infected a minimum of 104 people 34 of whom have been hospitalized as reported on Wednesday by federal health officers.

Outbreaks have been reported in fourteen states,as indicated by the US CDC as at the time of making this writing. In one case, that of a man from Colorado, the infection has caused death; in four other cases, a condition that might be fatal has developed.

The largest number of each was 30 in Colorado, 19 in Montana, 13 in Nebraska and 10 in New Mexico; there were eight each in Missouri and Utah; six each in Wyoming; there were three in Kansas; two in Michigan and one each in Iowa, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin.

All these illness were reported between September 12 to October 21. Of the seven people who got sick, all said that they ate McDonald’s food, while on transit.

Source and Response to the Outbreak

The CDC estimated that slivered onions used to prepare Quarter Pounders were to blame for the spread of the bacteria. Nature’s Choice, the supplier based in California, returned onions to the market that might be contaminated. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified a dangerous E. coli strain in one onion sample but not the type of E. coli that has been reported to have caused the illnesses.

In return, McDonalds pulled Quarter Pounders out of menus in those states at the onset of the outbreak. By Wednesday, the company claimed to have found another supplier for onions to the 900 restaurants and restarted preparing Quarter Pounders with onions.

The FDA released a statement to share that they do not perceive a constant food safety menace at McDonald’s centres concerning this outbreak.

Health Risks and Symptoms

The E. Coli bacteria that has been involved in this outbreak causes approximately 74,000 cases, 2000 admissions and 61 fatalities in the United States annually, data from the CDC. Signs often develop within twenty-four to forty-eight hours of ingesting toxic food and may be manifested by fever, vomiting, diarrhea – bloody diarrhea, and the flshes of dehy/dration such as scanty urination, excessive thirst, and dizziness. Intestinal mode is especially dangerous for the kidneys with infants and children under five years at risk of irreparable kidney damage, and engaging young children needs medical assistance.