Latest updates on cases, onion recalls and more

Seventy-five people in 13 states have become ill in an E. coli outbreak traced to McDonald's Quarter Pounders, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said in an update Friday.

The outbreak, first reported by the agency on Tuesday, was initially reported after 49 people became ill and one died in 10 states. As of Oct. 24, the total number of cases in 13 states included 22 hospitalizations and one death in Colorado. Two people also developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious condition that can lead to kidney failure.

So far, investigators and McDonald's believe that the Quarter Pounder is the only menu item affected. While health authorities are still working on the final identification, it is believed that the raw onion slices served on the burgers are the culprit, rather than the beef patties themselves.

With the rapid increase in reported cases, McDonald's branches have also removed the burger from their menus. Numerous onion recalls have also been initiated.

Here's what you should know so far about the E. coli outbreak at McDonald's.

Which McDonald's products are affected?

Quarter Pounders are currently the only McDonald's menu item known to be affected by the E. coli outbreak. Investigators believe the source ingredient may have been the onion slices on the burgers and not the meat itself.

However, food safety experts told USA TODAY on Wednesday that there is still a possibility of cross-contamination in restaurants that may receive adulterated products.

The restaurant chain announced Wednesday that it has removed the Quarter Pounder from the menu at a fifth of its restaurants.

Which states are affected by the E. coli outbreak?

As of Friday, 13 states reported illnesses linked to the E. coli outbreak, according to the CDC.

Colorado
Iowa
Kansas
Michigan
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
New Mexico
Oregon
Utah
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Colorado has the most cases with 26, followed by Montana with 13 and Nebraska with 11. The remaining states reported five or fewer cases.

75 people were infected with E. coli at McDonald's: What are symptoms? How can you avoid it?

States where Quarter Pounder sales have been suspended

McDonald's said in a statement that Quarter Pounders have been pulled from restaurants in the following states:

Colorado
Kansas
Utah
Wyoming

It was also removed in parts from:

Idaho
Iowa
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Mexico
Oklahoma

Is it safe to eat at McDonalds?

“I think it's a little too early to say it's safe to eat at McDonald's,” food safety advocate Bill Marler told USA TODAY on Wednesday.

Because onions are served fresh, they can become contaminated with E. coli through fecal contamination, which can occur through sewage, growing area water, fertilizers and the growing area's proximity to livestock, said Marler and food industry consultant Bryan Quoc Le.

McDonald's said its suppliers clean, cut and clean the onions again before they are packaged and refrigerated. It added that diced onions would be used in the regular burgers, unlike the sliced onions that have been linked to the outbreak. The chain also said it is working with health authorities to quickly resolve the issue.

Quoc Le said aside from the Quarter Pounder, “there should be no concerns about consuming” other McDonald's products. “McDonald's is pretty good at logistics and distribution and can therefore recall many of its products relatively quickly.”

“I mean, right now, probably in the next few days, you can avoid the Quarter Pounder, but with the rest of the items I don't see a problem,” he added.

Is it safe to eat McDonald's? Quarter Pounders linked to E. coli outbreak raises some concerns

Onion remembers

Understanding E. coli risks

As the E. coli outbreak spreads at McDonald's, find out the best ways to prevent and treat an infection.

US Foods, one of the nation's largest distributors to restaurants and other foodservice establishments, on Thursday recalled raw, diced, peeled and whole peeled onions from its third-party supplier Taylor Farms Colorado, citing “potential E. coli contamination.” “

One of Taylor Farms' production facilities also supplied onions to McDonald's in areas affected by E. coli illnesses, McDonald's told USA TODAY on Thursday. However, the recalled Taylor Farms Colorado onions were not related to the company's removal of Quarter Pounders, the company said.

McDonald's said in a news release Friday that it has stopped sourcing onions from the Taylor Farms facility in Colorado Springs “due to general concerns and our unwavering commitment to food safety.”

The Taylor Farms recall includes:

30 pound bag of peeled jumbo yellow onions
4/5-pound bag of 3/8-inch diced fresh yellow onions
5-pound bag of fresh, diced yellow onions
6/5 pound bag of whole, peeled yellow onions

Yum Brands and Burger King are removing onions from some locations

Yum Brands also announced Thursday that it would remove onions from select locations of its Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants following the McDonald's outbreak. According to multiple reports, Burger King announced that some locations would harvest onions after receiving them from Taylor Farms Colorado.

“As we continue to monitor the recently reported E. coli outbreak and out of an abundance of caution, we have proactively removed fresh onions from select Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants,” Yum Brands said in a statement to USA TODAY. “We will continue to follow supplier guidelines and regulations to ensure the ongoing safety and quality of our food.”

The company did not respond to further questions about which locations had the onions removed or who the onion supplier was to those restaurants.

Lawsuits and investigations

Currently, health authorities are still investigating the outbreak, including the FDA, CDC and USDA.

The FDA is “using all available tools to confirm whether onions are the cause of this outbreak,” spokeswoman Janell Goodwin said Thursday. “This includes working with federal and state partners and the companies involved to collect and evaluate records and sales information as part of our traceability investigation. FDA and state partners are also collecting onion samples for analysis.”

However, the first lawsuit over the outbreak has now been filed.

The lawsuit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court in Illinois, accuses Eric Stelly of eating food from McDonald's in Greeley, Colorado, three weeks ago and experiencing symptoms such as nausea, cramps and bloody stools – the “most common symptom” of E. coli -Poisoning. According to a press release from Houston-based attorney Ron Simon, one of his attorneys in the civil case.

The 10-page lawsuit, obtained by USA TODAY, accuses McDonald's of negligence, product liability and other claims related to the illnesses.

Contributors: Eduardo Cuevas and Max Hauptman, USA TODAY