E. coli Outbreak Linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders
On Oct. 22, 2024, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced that public health officials in multiple states are investigating an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections. Most people in this outbreak reported eating the Quarter Pounder hamburger at McDonald’s before becoming sick. It was not yet known which specific food ingredient was contaminated.
McDonald’s stores in Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, and portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma temporarily stopped using Quarter Pounder slivered onions and beef patties.
Most people infected with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli experience severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting.
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Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Credit: Photo: Scanning electron micrograph of Escherichia coli (E. Coli), grown in culture and adhered to a cover slip. Courtesy: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, 2002.
