The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that the number of cases linked to Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria, which was detected in onions in McDonald’s “Quarter Pounder” burgers and has caused one death so far, has risen to 104. The FDA also reported that the cases were detected in 14 states: Colorado, Kansas, Utah, Wyoming, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oregon, Wisconsin, Washington, Michigan and North Carolina, and that 34 of the cases were hospitalized.
E. coli bacteria, which can normally be found in the intestines of humans and animals and generally leave the body after a week, can cause symptoms such as fever, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, vomiting, dry mouth and throat, and dizziness when standing up. However, some subtypes of the bacteria, such as “Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli” can cause life-threatening diseases.