The E. coli outbreak at McDonald’s now has 90 victims; Complaints are multiplying

At least 90 people have been infected E.coli There has been an outbreak in several states that health officials say is likely traced to onions served on McDonald’s Quarter Pounders and could lead to the fast food chain going to court.

At least 27 people have been hospitalized, two have developed dangerous kidney complications and one person in Colorado has died, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The onion supplier to all affected restaurants, Salinas-based agricultural producer Taylor Farms, announced a recall of its onions from a processing plant in Colorado last week, and McDonald’s resumed serving Quarter Pounders at all locations this week.

According to a press release, attorney Ron Simon represents 33 infected people who are taking legal action against McDonald’s. That includes 15-year-old Kamberlyn Bowler of Grand Junction, Colorado, who has been hospitalized for nearly two weeks with hemolytic uremic syndrome, a condition that damages the blood vessels in the kidneys.

“HUS is a dangerous and life-threatening disease and can require lifelong monitoring and treatment, including kidney transplants,” Simon said in a statement. “The longer a young person is on dialysis, the more difficult their medical future is likely to be.”

Kamberlyn was flown to Colorado Children’s Hospital in Aurora on Oct. 18 after tests at her local hospital revealed she was suffering from kidney failure due to a serious illness E.coli Infection.

Kamberlyn’s mother, Brittany Randall, told NBC News that witnessing her daughter’s illness was very scary.

“We’re not really sure what’s going to happen next for them,” she said Monday. “She will probably need another round of dialysis. We hope this is the last one, but we also don’t know.”

Colorado had the most cases with 29, followed by Montana with 17, Nebraska with 12, Missouri with eight, Utah with seven, Wyoming and New Mexico with five each, Michigan with two and Washington, Oregon, Iowa, Kansas and Wisconsin each, according to the CDC at one.

The Food and Drug Administration has begun inspections at a Taylor Farms processing center in Colorado. Test results released over the weekend by the Colorado Department of Agriculture ruled out McDonald’s beef patties as a possible source.

Last week, Taylor Farms announced a voluntary recall of its onions. McDonald’s and several other fast-food chains – including Burger King, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut – have stopped using the supplier’s onions in their restaurants.

This week, McDonald’s resumed sales of Quarter Pounders at the 900 restaurant locations that previously received onions from Taylor Farms.

The CDC announced 15 new cases Tuesday, but noted that the illnesses all occurred before the onion product was recalled and said that because of actions taken by Taylor Farms and McDonald’s, the current risk to the public is “very low.” .

E coli Symptoms typically begin three to four days after ingesting the bacteria and include stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea. Most people recover within a week without treatment.