McDonald’s E. coli outbreak expands, at least 75 people sickened, CDC says

The number of victims of the E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers has climbed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Friday.

The agency said in an update that 75 people have been infected with the E. coli O157:H7 strain across 13 states as of Thursday, and 22 have been hospitalized.

When the CDC first announced the outbreak on Tuesday, there were 49 cases of people becoming sick, resulting in 10 hospitalizations and one death.

McDonald’s was hit with its first lawsuit over the outbreak the next day.

MCDONALD’S SAYS BEEF UNLIKELY BUT NOT RULED OUT AS POTENTIAL SOURCE OF E. COLI OUTBREAK

McDonald’s spokespeople said on Wednesday that the CDC had informed the company of the outbreak last week, and the company is working with the agencies involved to determine whether beef or onions – the two ingredients in the Quarter Pounder that could be carriers for E. coli – are the cause.

McDonald’s has already yanked onions and Quarter Pounder beef patties from its restaurants in the areas where cases have been reported and has stopped selling the sandwich in those regions.

MCDONALD’S E. COLI OUTBREAK LINKED TO CALIFORNIA FARM, FDA INVESTIGATING

McDonald’s has pulled Quarter Pounder ingredients from the states of Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma.

Yum! Brands also announced Thursday it would pull fresh onions from some of its Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants after McDonald’s supplier Taylor Farms issued a recall of yellow onions.