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A. coli Expansion It has caused at least 49 illnesses in 10 states, including one death, linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounders.
This is what we know.
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention a Food safety alert A warning issued Tuesday said dozens of people had eaten a quarter-pounder sandwich at McDonald's before becoming ill.
The US Food and Drug Administration has not yet identified a specific substance as the source of the outbreak. He says. The sliced onions or ground beef on a quarter pounder sandwich could be a source of contamination.
McDonald's has stopped serving the onion and quarter-pound beef patties in several states, including Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as parts of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma. It will continue, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the agency, the roast beef is only used for the quarter pounder and the chopped red onion is used primarily for the quarter pounder and not for other items. Chopped onions and other beef patties used by McDonald's have not been implicated in this outbreak, the FDA said.
Escherichia coli or E.coli is a common bacteria, but some types can make you sick. Infection can often occur after ingesting the bacteria after eating contaminated food or water. It can be transmitted from person to person through poor toilet hygiene.
People with an E. coli infection may have symptoms including severe abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Symptoms of infection usually begin three or four days after ingesting the bacteria.
Although most sick people recover within a week without treatment, others develop severe kidney problems and require hospitalization. The CDC notes that the elderly, children under the age of 5, and people with weakened immune systems are at risk.
E. coli infections from the McDonald's outbreak have resulted in at least 10 hospitalizations, including a child with hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious complication that can result from an E. coli infection. An old man died.
Most of the illnesses linked to the McDonald's outbreak have been in Colorado and Nebraska, the CDC said, but the agency said the outbreak may have crossed those states. Illnesses have also been reported in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
The CDC advises people to call their doctor if they have recently eaten a McDonald's Quarter Pounder and have severe symptoms of E. coli, such as a fever over 102 and diarrhea, especially bloody diarrhea or diarrhea that does not improve within three days, vomiting restricts fluid intake, or nausea.
It may take weeks to determine if the illness is part of an outbreak, but the CDC says the investigation into the McDonald's outbreak “Fast movingHe said.
The agency said new cases were being reported “continuously” as scientists were able to establish a genetic link between the bacteria responsible for the pandemic and human infection.
From September 27th to October 11th, CDC data shows that cases of illness associated with the disease began. But the start date of the outbreak could also change as past cases come to light, an official with knowledge of the investigation said.
Such outbreaks can disappear quickly after the contaminated food or ingredient is removed from the market. That requires a thorough investigation to make sure all possible transmission lines are opened and stopped.
President of McDonald's America They said it's okay To eat at McDonald's and the affected ingredients are probably outside the supply chain at the restaurants.
“We're very confident that you'll go to McDonald's and enjoy your classics,” Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald's USA, said Wednesday on NBC's “Today Show.”
Quarter-pounder sandwiches will be temporarily removed from McDonald's menus in some states while the company makes some menu changes.
Erlinger believes that “if there is a contaminated product in our supply chain, it may have worked its way up that supply chain,” but acknowledged that the number of reported illnesses could increase as the CDC investigates and tracks cases.
“Serving our customers at every restaurant, every day, is our top priority,” McDonald's said in a statement Tuesday.
A Fact sheet It highlights the food safety protocols the company says are in place, including daily temperature checks and hourly washing for employees. He also noted that quarter pounders are cooked to order above FDA code on best practices.
CDC Data Released this summer, it shows that foodborne illness is on the rise in the US. E. A few illnesses, including coli infections, exceed federal targets to reduce foodborne illness.
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In the year By 2023, for every 100,000 people in the US, there will be 5 E. coli diseases – up 25% from five years ago and about 40% higher than planned.
of Campylobacter bacteria Foodborne illness is the most common cause of illness, with more than 19 illnesses per 100,000 people — a rate up from 22% five years ago and more than double federal goals. Infections from this bacteria are most commonly caused by eating raw or undercooked poultry, the CCC says, and can make people sick with diarrhea.
Salmonella infections have not increased in recent years, but in 2023, the bacterium will still cause about 14 illnesses per 100,000 people in the United States.
Listeria will cause about 0.3 illnesses per 100,000 people in the U.S. in 2023, according to data from the CDC, but it has caused few large and deadly outbreaks this year.
The head of the underground called again At the end of July It recalled more than 7.2 million pounds of ready-to-eat liverwurst and some other meat products, resulting in dozens of hospitalizations and at least nine deaths, and another nearly 12 million pounds of meat and poultry products. Developed by BrucePac, it has hit schools, retailers and restaurants nationwide.
's Nadia Kunang, Karma Hassan, Brenda Goodman and Meg Tyrrell contributed to this report.