An E.coli outbreak linked to a popular McDonald’s burger has sickened more people, bringing the total number of cases to 104 people in 14 states.
A CDC update said Wednesday that at least one more case of E.coli has been discovered linked to the sliced onions in the fast-food chain’s Quarter Pounder.
The new patient has been identified in North Carolina, but no further details have been provided.
The update also reported that 34 people have been hospitalized, four have developed life-threatening kidney disease and one person has died.
The onions from the burgers (pictured) have been at the center of an investigation into an E.coli outbreak that has so far affected 49 people, hospitalized ten and killed one
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Illnesses started on dates ranging from September 12 to October 21 this year, but more are likely to follow as E.coli symptoms usually take three to four weeks to appear.
The agency also said the “actual number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the reported number,” because many people recover from E.coli with mild symptoms or without ever receiving treatment.
Last month, CDC researchers confirmed that chopped yellow onions produced by California-based Taylor Farms in Quarter Pounders were the likely source of the E.coli outbreak.
The burgers were withdrawn from a fifth of McDonald’s restaurants, but are now back – although they are served without onions at 700 locations.
Burger King, Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut have also all stopped using onions as a ‘proactive’ measure during the outbreak.
Victims of the outbreak are now suing McDonald’s over their illness.
Clarissa DeBrock filed suit last month seeking compensation for lost wages, medical bills and physical and emotional suffering.
She became ill after eating a Quarter Pounder in Nebraska in September.
The burger looked and tasted normal, but five days later she started experiencing stomach cramps, diarrhea and nausea. Her symptoms became so severe that she went to the emergency department on September 25.
Tests showed she was infected with E.coli strain O157:H7, the same strain linked to the recent outbreak.
In the U.S., about 265,000 people contract E.coli each year and more than 100 die from the disease — according to health officials.
Infections are usually caused by eating contaminated foods such as ground beef – where a contaminated portion of an animal’s intestine has entered the stock – vegetables, which may have been grown with contaminated water, and unpasteurized milk.
Older adults, young children and people with underlying conditions are especially at risk from the bacteria because they have weakened immune systems.
Patients typically begin to experience symptoms three to four days after infection, although they can also begin more than a week later.
These include diarrhea, stomach cramps and nausea, which may go away within a few days.
However, if people experience persistent, severe or bloody diarrhea, it is recommended that they seek urgent hospital care.