A person has died due to the consumption of a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder sandwich contaminated with Escherichia coli, reported the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on October 23. In addition to the fatality, there have been 49 cases of illness and ten hospitalizations linked to this foodborne illness outbreak across ten states, since the investigation was opened on October 22, 2024.
CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS), and multiple state public health departments are looking into the ongoing foodborne illness outbreak of E. coliO157:H7 infections. The majority of case patients reported eating a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder prior to the onset of illness. Most illnesses have been reported in Colorado and Nebraska, and eight other states have also been implicated in the outbreak (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming).