If you’ve eaten at McDonald’s recently, take these safety measures during the deadly E Coli outbreak
Anyone who has consumed a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburger in recent weeks is urged to remain alert if they notice any changes to their body.
A major outbreak of the bacteria E Coli has been linked to about 2,700 fast-food stores in the Mountain West states, killing one and hospitalizing 10 others.
The CDC says anyone who has eaten a Quarter Pounder — which is consumed by 100,000 Americans per day — and feels ill should contact their doctor immediately.
And food safety experts told DailyMail.com that those who ate at McDonald’s should remain vigilant for two to eight days after being exposed, as it could take about a week for symptoms to start.
E Coli kills up to a fifth of the people it infects, so the advice is not to wait and seek help immediately. So far, 49 Americans have been confirmed to have the disease after eating at McDonald’s, but that’s likely a huge undercount, the CDC says.
Symptoms of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli include severe diarrhea and vomiting
The Quarter Pounder has been removed from menus in ten states because it is suspected to be the source of an E.coli outbreak. Pictured is a menu board at a store in Colorado, which has recorded the highest number of cases
The CDC warned consumers, “If you have serious symptoms of an E. coli infection after eating a Quarter Pounder hamburger at McDonald’s, seek health care and tell your provider what you ate.”
Although most patients recover on their own, those with severe illness may have experienced bloody diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and dehydration.
The agency also recommends seeking help for diarrhea that lasts at least three days without improvement or for vomiting that is so severe that it makes it difficult to keep fluids down.
Mitzi Baum, food safety expert and CEO of a nonprofit organization Stop foodborne illnesstold DailyMail.com: ‘If you have recently eaten a Quarter Pounder and are experiencing the symptoms described above, seek medical attention immediately. To properly treat your disease, you need to get tested for E. coli.
“Tell your doctor that you believe you are part of the current E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders and that you would like to be tested for E. coli.”
Stool, blood, and urine tests can detect the bacteria.
She also noted that despite the outbreak, “consumers do not need to avoid restaurants completely” as affected items have been removed from restaurants in affected states.
The outbreak spread to ten states: Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Montana, Utah and Oregon.
This means that customers living in those states are at highest risk of infection if they ate a Quarter Pounder between September 27 and October 11.
Ms Baum said young children and the elderly should be particularly vigilant as they are more likely to have compromised immune systems, making them more vulnerable to serious infections.
She said: ‘They can develop a serious complication of E.coli poisoning called haemolytic uraemia syndrome (HUS). If it occurs, it occurs on average seven days after the first symptoms, when the diarrhea improves.’
HUS is the complication that hospitalized the unidentified child mentioned in the CDC report. It affects about 200 to 300 Americans a year and kills fewer than one in twenty.
Severe E. coli infections can cause bloody diarrhea, painful stomach cramps, and kidney damage
Symptoms of HUS include fever, abdominal pain, pale skin, fatigue, irritability, bruising and bleeding from the nose and mouth, Ms. Baum said.
There is no specific treatment for E. coli, so most patients are expected to rest and drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration, Ms. Baum said.
The CDC recommends that severe E coli be treated with IV fluids, blood transfusions, and kidney dialysis if patients suffer from the complication hemolytic uremic syndrome, which damages the kidneys.
Ms Baum said: ‘Antibiotics should not be used to treat this infection. There is no evidence that antibiotic treatment is helpful, and taking antibiotics may increase the risk of HUS.”
The Mayo Clinic recommends avoiding anti-diarrheal medications because they slow down the digestive system and prevent the body from getting rid of toxins, meaning you can stay sick longer.