GREELEY, Colo. — A Greeley man who says he was sickened with E. coli after eating a Quarter Pounder from McDonald's is suing the chain.
Earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control said an outbreak linked to the fast food chain has sickened at least 49 in at least 10 different states. Colorado appears to be the epicenter of the outbreak with 26 cases reported. One person in Mesa County died.
According to the lawsuit filed Tuesday Eric Stelly ate food from his local restaurant at 2912 W. 10th St. in Greeley on Oct. 4. Two days later on Oct. 6 he began feeling ill and eventually he went to the emergency room for treatment, the lawsuit says. Tests there showed he tested positive for E. coli bacteria.
The results were forwarded to the health department and from there Stelly was questioned about what he had eaten. The lawsuit notes that health investigators confirmed he was part of the outbreak linked to McDonald's which was formally announced by the CDC on Tuesday.
The lawsuit accuses McDonald's of negligence and is seeking more than $50,000 for past and future economic losses and court costs.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said the 26 people who have gotten sick in Colorado live in nine counties: Arapahoe, Chaffee, El Paso, Gunnison, Larimer, Mesa, Routt, Teller, and Weld. They did not necessarily eat at McDonald's locations in the counties where they live, the health department said.
The CDC said 10 people across the affected states have been hospitalized. 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.
E. coli symptoms
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.