Update: After E. coli scare, McDonald’s brings Quarter Pounder back to all of Idaho
Idaho felt the aftermath of a multistate McDonald’s E. coli outbreak.
There were no linked cases in the state, but out of “an abundance of caution,” McDonald’s pulled its Quarter Pounder off the menu in parts of Idaho recently. But now, the popular burger is coming back — just without slivered onions, the source of the illness.
“We have not identified anyone linked to McDonald’s E. coli outbreak yet,” Southwest District Health epidemiologist Andy Nutting said via email. “I suspect we might come across some in the near future, though, now that it is in the news and on people’s minds.”
Central District Health has also not seen any reports, spokesperson Maria Ortega said. Those two districts cover 10 counties in Southern Idaho, including Ada and Canyon.
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is reviewing recent E. coli cases to see whether any are associated with the outbreak, spokesperson AJ McWhorter said.
A farm that supplies onions to some McDonald’s locations initiated a voluntary recall, the CDC said. On Friday, McDonald’s said it would stop sourcing from the farm’s Colorado Springs facility “indefinitely.”
People should call their health care provider if they have any of these symptoms, according to the CDC: diarrhea and a fever higher than 102, so much vomiting that they can’t keep liquids down and signs of dehydration.
This story was originally published October 25, 2024 at 3:29 PM.
