The McDonald’s E. coli outbreak linked to its Quarter Pounder hamburgers has been tied to another 26 illnesses, bringing the total number of people impacted to 75, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a Friday update.
The outbreak now spans 13 states with the addition of cases in Michigan, New Mexico and Washington. The CDC initially said Tuesday it had 49 reported illnesses in 10 states, mainly in Colorado and Nebraska.
Of the 42 people CDC interviewed, all said they ate at McDonald’s before their illnesses. The fast food chain removed Quarter Pounders from 20% of its restaurants and is working on replenishing its supply.
Twelve more people have been hospitalized, bringing the total to 22 individuals. The most recent illness onset date is Oct. 10, the agency said.
The CDC has yet to tie a specific ingredient to the outbreak, but it continues to focus on slivered onions and fresh beef patties.
Taylor Farms, a supplier of slivered onions to the chain, previously initiated a recall of yellow onions and contacted stores. Chains including Yum Brands’ KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut have already removed onions from their menus. Burger King has taken onions off the menu at 5% of its stores.
“Due to the product actions taken by McDonald’s and Taylor Farms, CDC believes the continued risk to the public is very low,” the agency said in its update on Friday.
Consumers are likely to file numerous lawsuits against McDonald’s. A Colorado consumer filed the first lawsuit on Wednesday accusing the chain of negligence. Another consumer filed a similar lawsuit on Thursday. Ron Simmon and Associates are representing both consumers and the firm said it continues to field phone calls from consumers.
