A McDonald’s Quarter Pounder E. coli Outbreak has sickened at last 49 people in 10 states, has hospitalized 10 of those patients, and has killed one person, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most of the sick people reported eating Quarter Pounder hamburgers from McDonald’s.
The case count by state is: Colorado (26), Iowa (1), Kansas (1), Missouri (1), Montana (1), Nebraska (9), Oregon (1), Utah (4), Wisconsin (1), and Wyoming (1). Illness onset dates range from September 27, 2024 to October 11, 2024. The patient age range is from 13 to 88. One person has developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. And the person who died was an older adult who lived in Colorado; that patient did not have HUS.
The hospitalization rate for this outbreak is 36% (10 out of 28 patients who gave information to investigators), which is high for any outbreak. State and local officials are interviewing patients about what they ate the week before they got sick. Of the 18 people interviewed, all ate at McDonald’s, and 16 said they ate a beef hamburger. Of 14 people who remember the specific beef hamburger, 12, or 86%, said they ate a Quarter Pounder. Some people traveled to other states before they got sick. And at least one person ate at McDonald’s during their travels.
Investigators think that it was either the slivered onions or the beef patties used to make these burgers that are the source of this outbreak. Preliminary traceback and distribution information shows that slivered onions may be the likely source; the FDA is still waiting for traceback on the beef.
Food Safety Attorney and Food Poisoning Bulletin Publisher Eric Hageman
Noted food safety lawyer Eric Hageman, who has successfully represented clients in E. coli O157;H7 outbreaks, said, “No one should get this sick, or die, because they chose to eat a hamburger for lunch or dinner. It is worth noting that onions have been the source of other outbreaks over the years. We hope that this outbreak is solved soon and that no one else gets sick.”
McDonald’s has pulled ingredients for those burgers and they will not be available for purchase in some states until this outbreak is solved.
Meanwhile, if you ate at a McDonald’s restaurant and have been ill with the symptoms of an E. coli infection, which include fever, possible nausea and vomiting, and severe abdominal cramps and bloody diarrhea, see your doctor. Symptoms of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), include little or no urine output, easy bruising, lethargy, a rash, and bleeding from the nose or mouth. Parents should be vigilant about their children and HUS, since this complication usually affects kids under the age of five.
If you have been sickened with an E. coli O157:H7 food poisoning infection after eating a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburger, please contact our experienced attorneys for help with a possible lawsuit at 1-888-377-8900 or text us at 612-261-0856. Our firm represents clients in lawsuits against grocery stores, restaurants, and food processors, and families in wrongful death cases..
