E. coli cases rise, Salinas ag company ID'd as source of outbreak: McDonald's

SALINAS, Calif. (KRON) -- Onions supplied by the company Taylor Farms, a Salinas Valley ag giant, were identified as the source of McDonald's deadly E. coli food poisoning outbreak, according to officials with the fast food restaurant chain.

Dozens of people became sick from eating McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers with slivered onions this October. Taylor Farms initiated a recall and asked its customers, including McDonald's to stop using onions.

As of Friday, the number of people sickened at McDonald's restaurants nationwide rose by 26 to a total of 75 cases, officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

"Taylor Farms, the supplier of slivered onions for affected McDonald’s locations, initiated a yellow onion recall. The FDA is working closely with the implicated farms," CDC officials wrote.

Twenty-two people have been hospitalized, including a child who died in Colorado, health officials told KRON4. "This number includes the previously reported death in Colorado and child with complications of hemolytic uremic syndrome," CDC officials wrote.

McDonald's restaurant locations where people fell ill are scattered across 13 states. The most recent states add to the list were Michigan, New Mexico, Washington.

"McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers are making people sick. McDonald’s has stopped using fresh slivered onions and quarter pound beef patties in several states to protect their customers while a source of illness is confirmed," CDC officials wrote.

The CDC, FDA, USDA FSIS are conducting a joint investigation into the outbreak and interviewing e. Coli-sickened patients. Of 42 people interviewed, all 42 reported eating Quarter Pounder hamburgers at McDonald’s before their illness started.

Victims were infected with E. coli 0157:H7, a type of bacteria that produces a dangerous toxin.

"Due to the product actions taken by McDonald’s and Taylor Farms, the CDC believes the continued risk to the public is very low," CDC officials wrote.

Taylor Farms did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Quarter Pounder hamburgers will not be available in some states while McDonald's makes supply changes. McDonald's restaurants in Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma have temporarily stopped using slivered onions.

No other retail chains or retailers have been identified as a source of illness.

Onions supplied by Taylor Farms have been implicated in previous outbreaks. In 2015, Taylor Farms recalled a celery and onion mix used in Costco chicken salads after 19 people were sickened with E. coli. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.