An avid hiker and skater was left doubled over in pain and feeling like he had “knives in his stomach” after eating a quarter-pounder of McDonald’s, as 15 other people fall ill from the outbreak.
Silas Mayes, 17, of Colorado, visited the fast-food chain, one of his favorites, for lunch with his father in early October.
The burger looked and tasted normal, but three days later he woke up in the night suffering from bloody diarrhea and cramps that were “the worst pain I’ve ever experienced”, he told DailyMail.com.
His mother, Lera Davidson, took Silas to the emergency room, where doctors administered painkillers and hydrating fluids.
He was discharged, but the next day he continued to worsen (unable to keep food or water down) and was taken back to the hospital, where he received fentanyl and medications to control his symptoms.
It comes as another 15 people were reported to have fallen ill and five were hospitalized in the McDonald’s E. coli outbreak.
According to authorities, in total there are at least 90 people sick, 27 people have been hospitalized and one has died. At least two have also been left battling kidney failure, including a 15-year-old girl and an 88-year-old woman.
The CDC said today that chopped onions in the burgers were the source of the infection, adding that now that they have been removed from the market, the risk to the public was “very low.”
Silas Mayes, 17, was an avid hiker and skater (pictured above at his graduation). But after eating a quarter pound of McDonald’s, he has been left very weak and struggling to get back to his old self.
Silas has since been discharged, but his mother described him as “very weak” after losing 10 pounds and feeling tired and fatigued all the time.
Silas went to McDonald’s to buy a quarter pounder with his father on October 7, while they were on a lunch break from their tiling job.
On October 10, he woke up his mother by clutching his stomach and telling her that the cramps were suddenly coming in waves.
He was rushed to the hospital, where he was given pain medication and released. But after his symptoms did not improve the next day, he returned for further treatment.
Speaking to DailyMail.com, Silas said: “It was basically the worst pain I’ve ever experienced, like knives in the stomach.”
‘I had these continuous cramps every three minutes and it was like a really sharp pain, it was unbearable.
“I haven’t been able to go back to any of my hobbies or anything because of how sick I’ve been.”
Tests later showed he had been infected with the same strain of E. coli that was behind the McDonald’s outbreak.
After being discharged again, Mrs Davidson said her son stayed home lying in bed for three days.
Describing his current condition, almost three weeks after he first suffered symptoms, he said: “He’s still not too well.
‘The main symptoms have disappeared, but the nausea and fatigue are still there. He is very weak.
His mother described Silas as still “very weak” and struggling to return to daily life.
The Mayes family plans to file a lawsuit against McDonald’s in the coming days
‘He used to exercise avidly, but now he has lost 10 pounds.
“Of course, he’s tried to pick up his skateboard again and try to do tricks with it, but now he’s too weak to do any.”
Researchers have suggested that the E. coli outbreak is because chopped yellow onions in burgers are the likely source of E. coli, and the supplier, Taylor Foods, has removed them from the market.
The Quarter Pounder was also removed from a fifth of McDonald’s restaurants amid the outbreak last week, but has now returned, although in 700 locations it is served without onions.
Burger King, Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut also stopped using onions as a “proactive” measure amid the outbreak.
He added: “I don’t trust McDonald’s. We will no longer buy a McDonald’s hamburger or hamburger from anywhere.
‘We’re not going to touch him because I saw how sick he was and my son is, I don’t want anyone to get that sick. Now I prepare all my food at home and double and triple wash everything I touch to be safe.’
Silas is the latest patient to come forward to reveal their illness, after a 15-year-old girl also in Colorado and a 33-year-old mother in Nebraska also detailed their illnesses.
At least 75 people have gotten sick after eating at McDonald’s in 13 states, CDC says
Many patients fell ill between late September and early October, although experts say more cases may emerge.
And a man in Colorado filed a lawsuit against McDonald’s over the outbreak.
Dozens of victims are being represented by national food poisoning attorney Ron Simon, who told DailyMail.com he is now working with 36 victims of the outbreak, including two battling kidney complications.
A McDonald’s spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com.
But in response to a previous case, they said hearing about the cases was “devastating.”
“We know that individuals and families have been significantly impacted and the well-being of our customers is deeply important to us.”
The Mayes family said they had not heard from McDonald’s since their son became ill.
They are now considering legal action against the fast food giant, which operates more than 14,300 restaurants nationwide.
After Silas tested positive for E. coli, the local health department was contacted and carried out an investigation to try to establish how he became infected.
This led to his case being linked to the current outbreak at McDonald’s.
Silas is the second oldest of four children and lives at home with his family and five dogs. She also has a girlfriend, who she said was very supportive during her illness.