McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers tainted with E. coli are believed to have sickened several dozen people across 10 states, including one in Oregon, and killed one.
Investigators from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say they’ve zeroed in on the hamburgers’ fresh beef patties — the chain stopped using frozen patties for the burgers nationwide in 2020 — and slivered onions.
McDonald’s said those ingredients have been removed from its restaurants in states where illness has been detected. Quarter Pounders are off the menu altogether at some locations as a result.
One person, described by the CDC as “older,” died. Ten were hospitalized, including a child with a kidney disorder linked to the E. coli infection. Forty-nine people in the West and Midwest had reported illness as of Tuesday, more than half in Colorado.
People infected with E. coli typically experience severe stomach cramps, often-bloody diarrhea and vomiting, usually three to four days after ingesting the bacteria. Most recover within seven days without needing treatment, but complications can require hospitalization.
The CDC urged people who become ill after eating a Quarter Pounder at McDonald’s to report it to their health care provider.
— Elliot Njus edits business and economy news for The Oregonian/OregonLive. He can be reached at [email protected].
