An E. coli outbreak linked to a popular McDonald’s burger has sickened more people, bringing the total cases to 104 people in 14 states.
a CDC update on Wednesday said at least one more case of E. coli had been detected in connection with the fast food chain’s Quarter Pounder cut onions.
The new patient has been identified in North Carolina, but no further details have been provided.
The update also reported that 34 people have been hospitalized, four have developed a life-threatening kidney disorder and one has died.
Burger onions (pictured) have been at the center of an investigation into an E. coli outbreak that has so far affected 49 people, put ten in hospital and left one dead.
The illnesses began on dates ranging from September 12 to October 21 of this year, but more are likely to come, as E. coli symptoms usually take three to four weeks to appear.
The agency also said that “the actual number of people sick in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported” because many people recover from E. coli with mild symptoms or without treatment.
Last month, CDC researchers confirmed that chopped yellow onions at Quarter Pounders were the likely source of the E. coli outbreak.
The hamburgers were removed from a fifth of McDonald’s restaurants, but have now returned, although in 700 locations they are served without onions.
Burger King, Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut also stopped using onions as a “proactive” measure amid the outbreak.
Victims of the outbreak are now suing McDonald’s for their illnesses.
Clarissa DeBrock filed a lawsuit last month seeking compensation for lost wages, medical bills, and physical and emotional suffering.
He became ill after eating a quarter pounder in Nebraska in September.
The hamburger looked and tasted normal, but five days later she began to suffer from abdominal cramps, diarrhea and nausea. His symptoms became so severe that on September 25 he went to the emergency room.
Tests showed she had been infected with the E. coli O157:H7 strain, the same one linked to the recent outbreak.
In the United States, about 265,000 people contract E. coli each year and more than 100 people die from the disease, according to health officials.
Infections are most commonly caused by eating contaminated foods, such as ground meat (where a contaminated part of an animal’s intestine has entered the supply), vegetables, which may have been grown with contaminated water, and unpasteurized milk.
Older adults, young children, and those with underlying illnesses are especially at risk of contracting the bacteria because they have weakened immune systems.
Patients usually begin to suffer symptoms three or four days after becoming infected, although they can begin more than a week later.
These include diarrhea, stomach cramps, and nausea, which may go away within a few days.
However, if people start to suffer from persistent, severe or bloody diarrhoea, it is recommended that they seek urgent care in hospital.