E. coli outbreak that led to Colorado death declared over
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The E. coli outbreak that led to at least 30 illnesses and one death in Colorado is over, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday.
Across the country, the outbreak affected 104 people and led to 34 hospitalizations across 14 states. An older adult in Mesa County died.
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Slivered onions in McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers were the likely source of the outbreak, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration report. That produce came from California-based Taylor Farms and was distributed to at least 12 states. Taylor Farms initiated a voluntary recall of the onions on Oct. 22, and McDonald’s immediately stopped using the affected onions. The restaurant chain is now using slivered onions from a different supplier in the locations where it temporarily stopped serving Quarter Pounders.
State and local health officials interviewed 81 infected people. Of those people, 80 reported eating at McDonald’s before getting sick and 63 said they ate an item with slivered onions.
The FDA said there is no longer a food safety concern related to the outbreak.
“We are appreciative of the collaboration of our local public health partners, other state health departments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and industry. This partnership allowed for a swift outbreak response, identification of the source of illness, and removal of contaminated product from McDonald’s restaurants,” state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy said in a statement. “We are grateful to the people impacted who answered the phone when we called to conduct case investigations. The information gleaned from those interviews allowed for a quick, successful outbreak investigation, and helped prevent additional illnesses.”
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