According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a widespread E. coli outbreak has been linked to McDonald’s products.
In a food safety alert issued Tuesday, the agency said a total of 49 people in 10 states have reported infection after eating the fast food chain’s Quarter Pounder hamburger.
Ten people have been hospitalized and one death has been reported.
The majority of cases were reported in Colorado and Nebraska.
CDC announces link between McDonald’s and E. coli outbreak
McDonald’s is working with multiple health agencies, including the CDC, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), to determine which ingredients in the Quarter Pounder are causing this disease. We are investigating whether there are any. pointed out the CDC.
The widespread E. coli outbreak has been linked to McDonald’s products, according to the CDC. (St. Petersburg)
Meanwhile, restaurants in some states have stopped using quarter-pound beef patties and shredded onions until the ingredients are identified.
What is E. coli?
According to the CDC, Escherichia coli (officially known as Escherichia coli) is a type of bacteria found in the environment, food, and the intestines of people and animals.
E. coli is a commonly occurring bacteria, said Dr. Harry Kopolovich, chief of emergency medicine at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center.
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“E. coli is a natural part of our collective gastrointestinal system,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Most strains are harmless and exist in our gut as part of the normal flora that supports good digestive health.”
Restaurants in some states have stopped using quarter-pound beef patties and shredded onions until the ingredients are identified. (St. Petersburg)
Doctors warned that certain subtypes of this strain, particularly 0157:H7, can cause severe illness and death in some people.
“Given that E. coli is so abundant in the environment, it can easily spread from person to person through poor hygiene processes,” he added.
“Given that E. coli is so abundant in the environment, it can easily spread from person to person through poor hygiene processes.”
Dr. Mark Siegel, a professor of clinical medicine at New York University Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, previously told Fox News Digital that E. coli can grow in cows and chickens used for meat. He said it was a certain type of intestinal bacteria. Raised in filth or in close quarters. ”
Certain subtypes of E. coli can cause serious illness and death in some people, doctors have warned. (St. Petersburg)
“Poultry and beef cattle are often given antibiotics to aid growth and prevent infection, which helps breed resistant strains that emerge from overuse of antibiotics,” Siegel added.
Doctors said the infection was probably caused by the meat being undercooked or could have spread through uncooked vegetables, such as onions in the hamburger.
“Food handling businesses can also spread it,” Siegel added.
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The best way to avoid infection is to take “appropriate, common-sense precautions,” Kopolovich said.
This includes not only cooking food at the correct temperature to avoid food poisoning, but also washing hands and thoroughly sanitizing food preparation surfaces.
Symptoms and treatment
According to the CDC, symptoms of E. coli disease include, but are not limited to, severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), vomiting, respiratory illness, urinary tract infection, fever, and pneumonia.
According to the CDC, symptoms of E. coli disease include, but are not limited to, severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, respiratory illness, urinary tract infections, fever, and pneumonia. (St. Petersburg)
“It most often causes cramping, diarrhea, or even blood in the stool, but usually resolves within a week or so,” Dr. Siegel says.
Kopolović noted that the infection has an “incubation period” of about three days after infection, but it can last up to 10 days after ingestion.
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“Most people tend to recover in about five to seven days without any treatment,” he said.
Although rare, some people infected with E. coli can develop hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which can lead to kidney failure and other life-threatening complications, according to the CDC. .
The CDC recommends medical care for “diarrhea that lasts for more than three days or has a fever of 102°F or higher, bloody diarrhea, or vomiting that is so great that you cannot keep fluids down and have little to no output.” We recommend that you consult with someone. urine. “ (St. Petersburg)
“15% to 20% of children infected with STEC will develop HUS complications, which is characterized by a rapid decrease in hemoglobin, platelet count, and acute kidney injury,” Kopolović told FOX News Digital. .
Symptoms of HUS include extreme fatigue, decreased urination, and loss of color in the face and lower eyelids.
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The CDC recommends medical care for “diarrhea that lasts for more than three days or has a fever of 102°F or higher, bloody diarrhea, or vomiting that is so great that you cannot keep fluids down and have little to no output.” We recommend that you consult with someone. urine. “
Dr. Kopolovich says you should also see your doctor if you have abdominal pain that doesn’t get better with Tylenol (acetaminophen).
To prevent E. coli, experts recommend not only cooking food at the proper temperature, but also washing hands and thoroughly disinfecting food preparation surfaces. (St. Petersburg)
The doctor added that patients taking medications or those with pre-existing conditions such as autoimmune diseases, heart failure or kidney disease may be at higher risk for serious complications.
“Once the bacteria die, more toxins are released, so antibiotics can’t really treat it,” Siegel says. “Therefore, it should be treated with supportive care and hydration.”
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Fox News Digital has reached out to McDonald’s for comment.
Cesar Piña, chief supply chain officer for McDonald’s North America, said in an internal statement that the company was “taking swift and decisive action” to address the outbreak. “Initial results of the investigation indicate that “These findings indicate that the disease in this area may be related to McDonald’s and the McDonald’s infection.” The sliced onions used in the Quarter Pounder are sourced from one supplier that serves three distribution centers. ”
Fox News Digital’s Breck Dumas contributed reporting.
