At least 90 people have been infected with Escherichia coli in a multistate outbreak that health officials say is likely caused by onions served in McDonald's Quarter Pounders and could land the fast-food chain in court.
At least 27 people have been hospitalized, two have developed dangerous kidney complications and one person has died in Colorado, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The onion supplier to all the affected restaurants, the producer Salinas-based Taylor Farms announced last week it was pulling its onions from a Colorado processing facility, and McDonald's resumed serving Quarter Pounders at all locations this week.
Attorney Ron Simon represents 33 infected people taking legal action against McDonald's, according to a news release. Among them is Kamberlyn Bowler, 15, of Grand Junction, Colorado, who has been hospitalized for nearly two weeks with hemolytic uremic syndrome, a condition that damages blood vessels in the kidneys.
“HUS is a dangerous and life-threatening disease, and can lead to the need for lifelong monitoring and treatment, including kidney transplants,” Simon said in a statement. “The longer a young person is on dialysis, the more difficult their medical future is likely to be.”
Kamberlyn was flown to Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora on October 18 after tests at her local hospital revealed she was suffering from kidney failure due to a serious illness. Escherichia coli infection.
Kamberlyn's mother, Brittany Randall, told NBC News that it had been very scary to witness her daughter's illness.
“We're not really sure what their future looks like,” he said Monday. “He will probably have to undergo another round of dialysis. We hope it will be the last, but we don't know either.”
Colorado has seen the most cases with 29, followed by Montana with 17, Nebraska with 12, Missouri with eight, Utah with seven, Wyoming and New Mexico with five each, Michigan with two and Washington, Oregon, Iowa, Kansas and Wisconsin. one each, according to the CDC.
The Food and Drug Administration has begun inspections at a Taylor Farms processing facility in Colorado. Test results released by the Colorado Department of Agriculture over the weekend ruled out McDonald's beef burgers as a possible source.
Last week, Taylor Farms announced a voluntary recall of its onions. McDonald's and several other fast food chains, including Burger King, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut, have stopped using their suppliers' onions in their restaurants.
This week, McDonald's resumed selling Quarter Pounders in the 900 restaurants that previously received onions from Taylor Farms.
The CDC announced 15 new cases on Tuesday, but noted that all illnesses began before the onion product recall and said that because of actions taken by Taylor Farms and McDonald's, the current risk to the public was “very low.” “.
MY. coli Symptoms usually begin three or four days after ingesting the bacteria and include stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea. Most people recover without treatment within a week.
