Wyoming is one of at least 10 Western states where people eating McDonald’s Quarter Pounders have been infected with E. coli food poisoning.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports Wyoming so far has four people who have become sickened by the bacteria as of Wednesday morning.
Kim Deti, a spokesperson for the Wyoming Department Health, said the cases involve residents of Natrona and Sweetwater counties.
Deti did not have any update on the health status of these Wyoming patients.
The CDC hadn't announced until Tuesday that the E. coli outbreak had expanded to include Wyoming.
The 22 McDonald’s outlets in Wyoming have pulled the Quarter Pounder from the menus.
In total, 49 cases have so far been reported nationwide with 10 hospitalizations and one death. The death was reportedly an older person in Colorado, and one child has been hospitalized with severe kidney complications, the CDC reports.
Neighboring Colorado has had the most cases with 26. Cases have also been reported in Utah, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Wisconsin.
What To Look For
According to the CDC, 18 people who contacted E. coli were interviewed by the agency, with all 18 reporting having eaten at McDonald’s recently. Sixteen reported eating a beef hamburger and a dozen specifically reported eating Quarter Pounders.
Most people infected with E. coli experience severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody) and vomiting. Symptoms usually start three to four days after swallowing the bacteria and most people recover without treatment after five to seven days.
Some people may develop serious kidney problems (hemolytic uremic syndrome, also called HUS) and would need to be hospitalized.
People who have severe symptoms of an E. coli infection after eating a Quarter Pounder hamburger at McDonald’s should seek health care and tell their provider about what they ate.
E. coli bacteria are harbored in the guts of animals and found naturally in the environment.
McColi
The specific ingredient linked to illness has not yet been identified, but investigators are focusing on two ingredients in particular: fresh slivered onions, and fresh beef patties, the CDC reports.
McDonald’s reported to the CDC that it has proactively removed the slivered onions and beef patties used for the Quarter Pounder hamburgers from its stores in the affected states while the investigation continues.
When contacted by Cowboy State Daily, a manager at a Cheyenne McDonald’s store declined to answer whether the store had stopped selling Quarter Pounders and referred all questions to a national company email.
However, while visiting the locations, Quarter Pounders were not available for purchase at any of Cheyenne’s McDonald’s stores Wednesday. The menus have “BACK SOON” stickers over the Quarter Pounders, and when asked why they aren’t available, customers are told because of the recall.
A store manager at a Gillette McDonald’s who refused to be identified also wouldn’t answer if the store had stopped selling Quarter Pounders when asked by Cowboy State Daily. However, the McDonald’s app shows Quarter Pounders as “currently unavailable” at the Gillette locations.
In a statement, McDonald's officials said that initial findings suggest that some illnesses are linked to onions sourced from a single supplier. The company has halted distribution of the slivered onions and temporarily removed the Quarter Pounder from menus in the affected states, and also in portions of Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma.
The news comes during an already tough year for the Chicago-based McDonald's chain. Its store sales fell for the first time in nearly four years in the second quarter as customers sought out cheaper or healthier options. The company responded with a $5 meal deal that doesn’t include the Quarter Pounder.
McDonald’s shares dropped 9% in after-hours trading Tuesday after the CDC’s announcement, according to National Public Radio.
Contact Leo Wolfson at leo@cowboystatedaily.com
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
