NEW YORK — A deadly E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounders sold in a dozen states is raising questions about whether the sandwiches served at New York franchises are safe to eat.
The short answer is yes, says the company. Quarter Pounders are still on the menu in New York and are safe to eat, according to McDonald's.
Here are five things New Yorkers should know:
1 dead, 49 sick in 10 states
One person has died in the 10-state outbreak and 49 have been sickened, with 10 requiring hospitalization, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 10 states reporting illnesses are Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Most of the illnesses occurred in Colorado (26) and Nebraska (nine).
What does McDonald's do?
McDonald's said it removed Quarter Pounders from the menu in those states, as well as some franchises in Idaho, Nevada and New Mexico “out of an abundance of caution.” No illnesses have been reported in those states, but the restaurants received the products linked to the outbreak, McDonald's head of supply chain in North America, Cesar Piña, said in a statement.
“We take food safety very seriously and it's the right thing to do,” he said.
What specific diseases did it cause?
Most people who got sick said they had just eaten a Quarter Pounder. McDonald's said its investigators traced the E. coli infections to a specific ingredient — chopped onions — coming from a single supplier serving three distribution centers.
Is it ok to eat other burgers?
McDonald's said all other menu items, including other hamburgers and cheeseburgers, are safe to eat and do not use the identified chopped onions.
Quarter Pounders will eventually return to McDonald's menus in 12 states, but will remain on hiatus while research in collaboration with the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, the USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service and other public health officials continues.
How long before people get sick?
Symptoms of E. coli usually appear three or four days after exposure to the bacteria, but people can get sick within a day or up to 10 days after exposure. Symptoms can last from a week to 10 days.
Most people recover from E. coli infections on their own within five to seven days. The CDC advises calling a health care provider for severe symptoms such as a fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit. diarrhea that persists for more than three days and bloody diarrhea. and signs of dehydration, including infrequent urination, dry mouth and throat, and feeling dizzy when standing up.
