Public health officials confirmed Wednesday that the sole fatality from a recent 10-state E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers was a Mesa County resident, while 10 of Colorado’s confirmed cases also came from the Western Slope county.
State health officials have not released the identity of the individual who died, but previously said the person was older and had underlying health conditions.
At least 26 people in Colorado have been sickened by the outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Forty-nine people in total across 10 states have been linked to the illness, which can cause vomiting, severe stomach cramps and diarrhea, often with blood.
People over 65 and children younger than five are at higher risk of severe illness from E. coli. Most people recover without treatment, but some develop severe dehydration or kidney damage.
The CDC said on its website Tuesday that all of the sickened people reported eating at McDonald’s, and most said they ate Quarter Pounders.
Early information from the Food and Drug Administration indicates the fresh-slivered onions that go on the Quarter Pounders may be the source of the outbreak, though officials are also looking into the beef patties. McDonald’s says it has gotten rid of onions from the supplier to the affected areas and temporarily took the Quarter Pounder off the menu in Colorado and other states where customers have gotten sick.
Epidemiologists in Mesa County are interviewing residents who have tested positive for E. coli, including gathering information about what they ate, where they are and if anyone else they know is also sick.
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“We have local experts on hand with an efficient system in place to handle these situations. This helps with the speed of investigations to help prevent additional people from becoming sick,” said Erin Minnerath, deputy director at Mesa County Public Health. “The system remains in place for residents in Mesa County to have food that’s safe to eat.”
The E. coli cases tied to McDonald’s were reported between Sept. 27 and Oct. 27 in Colorado, Oregon, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin.
Colorado has the reported most cases with 26, followed by Nebraska with nine and Utah and Wyoming with four apiece.
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