At least 90 people have been infected with the virus E. coli in a multi-state outbreak that health officials say may have stemmed from onions served at McDonald's Quarter Pounders and could see the fast food chain taken to court.
At least 27 people were hospitalized, two developed serious kidney problems and one in Colorado died, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The supplier of onions to all affected restaurants, Salinas-based producer Taylor Farms, announced a recall of onions from its Colorado processing plant last week, and McDonald's resumed serving Quarter Pounders at all locations this week. .
Attorney Ron Simon is representing 33 people infected with the virus who are taking legal action against McDonald's, according to the news release. They include 15-year-old Kamberlyn Bowler of Grand Junction, Colo., who has been hospitalized for nearly two weeks for hemolytic uremic syndrome, a condition that damages blood vessels in the kidneys.
“HUS is a serious and life-threatening disease, and can lead to the need for lifelong monitoring and treatment, including a kidney transplant,” Simon said in a statement. “The longer a young person spends on dialysis, the more difficult their medical future will be.”
Kamberlyn was rushed to Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora on October 18 after tests at her local hospital revealed she had kidney failure due to the severe injuries. E. coli infection.
Kamberlyn's mother, Brittany Randall, told NBC News that it was very scary to see her daughter's illness.
“We are not sure what it will look like if he moves forward,” said Msombuluko. “Maybe he will have to do another round of dialysis. We hope that's the last one, but we don't know either.”
Colorado saw the highest number of cases at 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. in each, according to the CDC.
The Food and Drug Administration has begun inspections at the Taylor Farms processing facility in Colorado. Test results released by the Colorado Department of Agriculture over the weekend singled out McDonald's beef patties as a possible source.
Last week, Taylor Farms announced a voluntary recall of its onions. McDonald's and other fast food chains – including Burger King, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut – have stopped using the supplier's onions in their restaurants.
This week, McDonald's resumed selling Quarter Pounders at 900 restaurants that previously received Taylor Farms onions.
The CDC announced 15 new cases on Tuesday but noted that the illnesses all began before the onion product was recalled and said that, thanks to measures taken by Taylor Farms and McDonald's, the risk to the public is “very low.”
E. coli symptoms usually start three to four days after eating the bacteria and include stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea. Most people recover without treatment within a week.
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