The CDC says 75 people have fallen ill as the deadly E. coli outbreak at McDonald's grows

A fatal outbreak of E. coli poisoning The toll linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounders has been increasing, with at least 75 people sickened in 13 states, federal health officials said Friday.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a total of 22 people have now been hospitalized and two developed dangerous kidney disease. One person has died in Colorado.

No definitive source of The outbreak has been identified, U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials said. Early information analyzed by the FDA showed that uncooked onion slivers used in the burgers “represent a likely source of contamination,” the agency said.

McDonald's has confirmed that Taylor Farms, a California-based food company, was the supplier of the fresh onions used in the restaurants affected by the outbreak and that they came from a facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

“We have made the decision to indefinitely discontinue sourcing of onions from the Taylor Farms facility in Colorado Springs,” McDonald's said in a statement released late Friday.

Taylor Farms said Friday that it had recalled yellow onions shipped from its Colorado plant to its customers as a precautionary measure and is continuing to cooperate with the CDC and FDA in the investigation.

“It saddens us to see the illnesses and individuals and families affected,” the family-owned company said.

When the outbreak became known on Tuesday, McDonald's removed the Quarter Pounder burger from the menu in several states – primarily in the Midwest and Mountain States. McDonald's said Friday that chopped onions from its Colorado Springs plant were distributed to about 900 of its restaurants, including some in transportation hubs such as airports.

The new cases reported Friday represented a sharp increase from the original tally of 49 in 10 states. The most illnesses were reported in Colorado, with 26 cases. At least 13 people became ill in Montana, 11 in Nebraska, five each in New Mexico and Utah, four each in Missouri and Wyoming, two in Michigan and one each in Iowa, Kansas, Oregon, Wisconsin and Washington, the CDC reported.

McDonald's said Friday that it has not removed the Quarter Pounder from additional restaurants due to the CDC's increased disease numbers. The company noted that some cases in states outside the original region were travel-related.

The CDC said some sick people reported traveling to other states before their symptoms appeared. At least three people reported eating at McDonald's during their trip. Illnesses were reported between September 27th and October 11th.

Taylor Farms notified its customers directly of the onion recall but did not notify the public, an FDA official said. Companies often issue press releases and the FDA sends out public notices of recalls, but these are not required.

While it remains unclear whether the recalled onions were the cause of the outbreak, several other fast food restaurants — including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and Burger King — have removed onions from some menus in certain areas this week.

Restaurant Brands International, which owns Burger King, said 5% of its restaurants use whole onions distributed from the Taylor Farms facility in Colorado. They are washed, peeled and sliced ​​by employees.

Although the company has not been contacted by health officials and there have been no signs of illness, Restaurant Brands said it has asked restaurants that received onions from the Colorado facility to remove them.

The outbreak is accompanied by infections with E. coli 0157:H7, a type of bacteria that produces a dangerous poison. According to the CDC, it causes about 74,000 infections annually in the U.S., resulting in more than 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths each year.

People sickened by the outbreak have already filed lawsuits against McDonald's, according to court documents. According to her lawsuit, Clarissa DeBock ate food from a local McDonald's in Nebraska on September 18, became ill on September 23 and sought emergency medical care two days later before being diagnosed with an E. coli infection.

Symptoms of E. coli poisoning can appear quickly, within a day or two of consuming contaminated food. These typically include fever, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, and signs of dehydration – little or no urination, increased thirst and dizziness. The infection is particularly dangerous for children under 5 years of age, older people, pregnant women or people with weakened immune systems.

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AP business reporter Dee-Ann Durbin contributed reporting from Detroit.

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