A map from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the states in which people have fallen ill after eating McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers and contracting E. coli.
An outbreak of E. Coli that sickened 49 people and killed one across 10 states was first linked to the Golden Arches’ famous hamburgers on Tuesday evening.
Colorado and Nebraska are the states with the highest number of confirmed cases. At least 26 people have fallen ill in Colorado, including one older adult who died, the CDC said.
Nebraska has nine confirmed cases of E. coli, the next highest number in a single state, according to the CDC.
Wyoming and Utah each have four confirmed cases of E. coli linked to the McDonald’s outbreak, the CDC said.
Oregon, Montana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas each have one confirmed illness linked to the outbreak, the CDC said.
The E. coli O157:H7 strain that led to the fast-moving McDonald’s outbreak can lead to serious illness and complications.
One person whose illness was linked to the outbreak has developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can cause kidney failure, the CDC said.
The CDC warned the “true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported” since many people recover from E. coli without seeking medical care.
The bacterial infection is most serious in children, elderly adults and immunocompromised individuals.
The CDC urged customers who experience diarrhea, fever, vomiting or signs of dehydration after eating a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder to contact their healthcare provider.
McDonald’s has temporarily stopped serving Quarter Pounder patties and slivered onions in Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming and parts of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma while investigators work to confirm which ingredient spurred the outbreak, the CDC said.
The earliest illness linked to the outbreak started on Sept. 27. The last reported illnesses began on Oct. 11.
Sickened individuals ranged in age from 13 to 88, the CDC said.
The CDC interviewed 18 individuals who had fallen ill with E. coli. All 18 people reported eating at McDonald’s prior to the infection.
Some 86% of these individuals said they specifically remembered eating a Quarter Pounder hamburger.