LOS ANGELES, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- A total of 104 people across 14 U.S. states have been sickened by the E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Of the 98 people with information available, 34 have been hospitalized, and four people developed HUS, a serious condition that can cause kidney failure, according to CDC.
One death has been reported from an older adult in the U.S. state of Colorado.
Fresh, slivered onions served on Quarter Pounders and other menu items from McDonald's are the likely source of E. coli outbreak in the United States, according to CDC.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Colorado Department of Agriculture, and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment have collected onion and environmental samples from McDonald's stores, distribution centers, and firms of interest for laboratory analysis. At this time, one FDA sample of recalled onions has tested positive for E. coli, according to CDC.
FDA has completed onsite inspections at a Taylor Farms processing center in Colorado and an onion grower of interest in Washington state. McDonald's has stopped using slivered onions on Quarter Pounder burgers in affected states, and Taylor Farms recalled yellow onions on Oct. 22.
At this time, there does not appear to be a continued food safety concern related to this outbreak at McDonald's restaurants, said CDC.
E. coli are bacteria found in many places, including in the environment, foods, water, and the intestines of people and animals.
Most E. coli are harmless and are part of a healthy intestinal tract. But some E. coli can make people sick with diarrhea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, sepsis, and other illnesses, according to CDC.
