The authorities particularly suspect the steak and onions that make up this burger.
Around fifty people fell ill, sometimes seriously, after consuming food contaminated with Escherichia Coli (E. coli) bacteria in several McDonald’s restaurants in the United States, the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) informed. on October 22, 2024. Among the victims aged 13 to 88, one elderly person died and 10 had to be hospitalized. One of the clients reportedly developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious illness that can cause kidney failure. The majority of cases (as well as the death) were recorded in Colorado and Nebraska, but 10 other states in the West of the country are believed to be affected. The actual number of sick people in this outbreak is likely underestimated compared to the number reported and the outbreak may not be limited to states with known cases of illness.
“Everyone surveyed said they ate at McDonald’s before getting sick, and most of them mentioned eating a specific hamburger“, specify the health authorities. In this case, an emblematic burger of the brand, namely the Quarter Pounder™, the equivalent of the Royal Cheese™ in France. At the origin of the epidemic, the authorities particularly suspect the chopped steak (beef) and the sliced onions which make up this burger Since the alert, these ingredients would no longer be used in McDonald’s restaurants in several American states until the investigation is completed. these onions were served or sold in other businesses.
The E. coli bacteria regularly makes the headlines in the French media because it is often responsible for food poisoning. It is mainly found in raw or undercooked meat, raw milk dairy products and more rarely raw plant products, recalls the Pasteur Institute. Symptoms usually appear between 3 and 4 days after infection and include stomach aches, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), vomiting and fever. In most cases, recovery is spontaneous.
In France, there would be no reason to worry about this epidemic as 100% of the ingredients used and sold in France come from the European Union (75% from France) and therefore, the products involved in the United States could not reach us.