McDonald’s E. Coli Outbreak Worsens as Number of Confirmed Infections Rises to 75 Across 13 States

The E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders has spread, with 26 more cases reported and another three states affected.

A sign in front of a McDonald's restaurant in Pittsburgh on April 23, 2022. Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo

Health officials said on Oct. 25 that the E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders has spread more widely and sickened more people, with 75 illnesses across 13 states, including 22 hospitalizations and one death.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first announced the outbreak on Oct. 22, when it said that initial investigations suggested that slivered onions used in the Quarter Pounder might be the source of the E. coli infections, which at the time numbered 49 across 10 states.