COLORADO, USA — The number of E. coli cases linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounders has risen to 75, according to new numbers released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The agency announced the outbreak on Tuesday and said then that 49 people had been sickened. There are now 75 cases and 22 hospitalizations, which is up from 10. Two of those people, one child and one adult, are being treated for hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious kidney issue.
A Mesa County, Colorado, resident died, but no new deaths have been reported.
The outbreak has also expanded from 10 to 13 states, the CDC said Friday. The new states are Michigan, New Mexico and Washington.
Previous cases were reported in Colorado, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Utah, Wyoming and Oregon.
All of the 42 people who were 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.
RELATED: McDonald's says onions from California-based produce company linked to deadly E. coli outbreak
The exact source of the outbreak has not been determined, but health investigators have focused on the Quarter Pounder burgers. They are specifically looking at the beef patties and the slivered onions primarily used in the items and not others.
McDonald’s removed the slivered onions and beef patties used for the Quarter Pounder hamburgers from its menu.
Taylor Farms also initiated a recall of some onions sent to foodservice operators. Due to the product actions taken by both companies, CDC believes the risk to the public is very low. No other retail chains or retailers have been identified as a source of illness, the CDC said.
On Thursday, McDonald's said that Taylor Farms, of Salinas, California, was the source of the fresh onions linked to the outbreak and said it sent onions to one distribution facility.
U.S. Foods, a major wholesaler to restaurants across the country, said Thursday that Taylor Farms had also issued a recall for peeled whole and diced yellow onions for potential E. coli contamination. The recalled onions came from a Taylor Farms facility in Colorado, a U.S. Foods spokesperson said. The wholesaler also noted that it wasn’t a McDonald’s supplier and that its recall didn’t include any products sold at the fast-food chain’s restaurants.
What the symptoms of E. coli?
Most people infected with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli experience severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting.
Symptoms usually start three to four days after swallowing the bacteria. Most people recover without treatment after five to seven days.
Some people may develop serious kidney problems (hemolytic uremic syndrome, also called HUS) and would need to be hospitalized.
