Mesa County death connected to E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders

COLORADO, USA — A Mesa County resident died as a result of an E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders, the local health department said Wednesday.

The Centers for Disease Control said Tuesday that 49 people have gotten sick, including 26 illnesses and one death in Colorado. Nine people have been sickened in Nebraska.

At least 10 of Colorado’s cases were reported in Mesa County in western Colorado, according to the county health department spokeswoman.

The CDC said 10 people have been hospitalized due to the outbreak. The outbreak also includes a child hospitalized with severe kidney complications. 

Everyone interviewed said they ate at McDonald’s before getting sick and specifically mentioned eating a Quarter Pounder hamburger, according to the CDC. The agency said infections were reported between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11. 

In a statement, McDonald’s said investigators found the illness may be linked to “slivered onions used in the Quarter Pounder and sourced by a single supplier that serves three distribution centers.” 

Those fresh-slivered onions are primarily used on Quarter Pounder hamburgers and not other menu items, the Mesa County Health Department said.

The restaurant chain said it has removed the slivered onions from affected restaurants and has paused the distribution of the onions. According to Colorado’s health department, the USDA is also looking into the beef patties on the Quarter Pounder hamburgers. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said this outbreak affected multiple McDonald’s all across the state. 

McDonald’s said it has also temporarily removed the Quarter Pounder from restaurants in Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming and portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma. All other menu items including other beef products (Cheeseburger, Hamburger, Big Mac, McDouble and Double Cheeseburger) are still available.

Doctors who diagnose E. coli have to report it to the state. Colorado state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy said during the second week of October, they noticed a higher number of cases than normal.

“So we reach out to members of the public that have these positive test results and ask them a series of food survey type questions to try and understand foods that they ate leading up to the onset of their illness,” Herlihy said. “And so it’s really through those detailed questionnaires that we can put two and two together and try and make links between individuals that have been sick.”

According to the CDC, most people infected with E. coli experience the following symptoms:

• severe stomach cramp
• diarrhea (often bloody)
• vomiting

Symptoms usually start three to four days after ingesting the bacteria, and most people recover within a week. 

The CDC said if you develop severe symptoms of E. coli after eating a Quarter Pounder from McDonald’s, get medical attention and tell the provider what you ate.