Teen with E. coli is battling kidney failure after eating McDonald’s Quarter Pounders

Question

A high school freshman in Colorado has been hospitalized with a rare and dangerous complication of E. coli poisoning After eating McDonald’s Quarter pounder.

Comments

I checked where NBC News got this information and it lead me to this website with an article about the outbreak.
cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks/e-coli
And this claim is true that E.coli was found un McDonald's quarter pounders. Food service operators should not sell, eat, or serve Taylor Farms recalled yellow onions. (the company that McDonald's gets their food from). In the CDC's article, they say, "Taylor Farms, the supplier of slivered onions to the affected McDonald’s locations, has initiated a voluntary recall and has asked customers to stop using some onions while this investigation is ongoing. Food service customers were contacted directly and told to remove onions." Since then, 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.
The affects of E. Coli can lead to severe kidney problems which is what happened to the highschool teen making them be hospitalized.

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Thanks for the follow-up, by linking a CDC page I feel like it makes this claim credible. As the CDC is a .gov page. This comment is very informative in how it names the manufacturer of the contaminated onions aswell as identifies McDonald's next steps to deal with the outbreak. This comment also reflects the order of publication explaining that the NBC article referenced the CDC article before publishing.

Answer 1

The original article seems to be trustworthy and I think that this claim is true. One big factor that makes the claim seem true and makes the article trustworthy is that it cites the CDC, a government organization, about their reports about the E. Coli breakout due to McDonalds. Even McDonalds has released articles and updates about the situation, taking responsibility for what happened and doing what they can to fix it (which the article cites). There are also many other media sources who are reporting on the outbreak including AP News, CBS, and others. 

It is important to note however, that the cause of E. Coli was not the meat, but the onions that were on the Quarter Pounders sold. The CDC report does point this fact out. 

In regards to the teen experiencing kidney failure, it seems that this claim is also true. Many other news outlets have reported about it, including news channels from Colorado where the girl is from.  

 

https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks/e-coli-O157.html

 

https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-stories/article/always-putting-food-safety-first.html

https://apnews.com/article/e-coli-mcdonalds-outbreak-bacteria-quarter-pounder-080847096a6b7062b4fb17037393fc99

https://www.kkco11news.com/2024/10/29/grand-junction-teen-hospitalized-e-coli-outbreak/

Comments

I agree with your claims. Since McDonald's had also came out with a statement about it, this proves our point and doesn't make me skeptical. However, I wonder if they have always used Taylor Farms yellow onions? Since when was there a cross contamination? And why all of a sudden are people being affected by it now? On NBC news, they said, "A McDonald's spokesperson said Wednesday that the raw onions were sourced from a single supplier and processed at a single facility. They are sliced and packaged at the facility as raw vegetables in individual bags and then distributed to restaurants...
A spokesperson for Taylor Farms did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to the company's website, Taylor Farms is a California-based producer of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables." Therefore, I am not sure where E. coli came from.

www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fda-mcdonalds-e-coli-onions-farms-source-rcna177007

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I think that your fact-check was for the most part good. You provided a lot of sources to back up your own claim which was definitely good, but I also feel like the level of writing made the fact-check seem a little unreliable. Even though the links you provided were from reliable news sources, the fact-check just seemed a little confusing to me. You also said the claim was true, but also said that it was from the onions on the burgers, as opposed to the actual meat being served.

Answer 2

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report confirmed, "CDC, FDA, USDA FSIS, and public health officials in multiple states are investigating an outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 infections. Most people in this outbreak are reporting eating the Quarter Pounder hamburger at McDonald’s before becoming sick." E. coli Outbreak Linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders | E. coli infection | CDC

Also, we can also find this news on sites such as BBC, CNN.

What we know about the McDonald's E. coli outbreak in the US

McDonald’s E. coli outbreak investigation: What we know | CNN

It is clear that A high school freshman in Colorado's kidney failure is linked to McDonald's, and this is not a coincidence. Therefore, this cliam is true.

Comments

I like how you used multiple sources to confirm the claim, including one government and multiple news sources.

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I like that you sourced more than one company confirming this statment. Some people that have ate McDonald's quarter poundrs or anything with Taylor Farms yellow onions, could be affected by this. The symptoms are: Diarrhea, (for more than 3 days that is not improving), Bloody diarrhea, so much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down, signs of dehydration, such as: not peeing much, dry mouth and throat and feeling dizzy when standing up. Some people can start to experience kidney problems leading to failure and are highly reccommended to be hospitalized, said by the CDC news. (Centers of Disease COntrol and Prevention)
https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks/e-coli-O157.html

Answer 3

This evidence used in this article comes from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). An open investigation is being conducted by CDC, FDA, USDA FSIS, and "public health officials in multiple states." This claim is true.

https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks/e-coli-O157.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna177676

Comments

I appreciate how this answer is quick and concise and explains the origin of the information.  It immediately gives me what I was looking for. Good job.

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What other credible sources did you find that aided you in finding if this claim was true or false? What evidence and data does the source provide? You did a good job of keeping this  fact check concise and straight to the point however elaborating on the context would be beneficial.

Answer 4

This claim is true because according to CDC, "those who ate the Quarter Pounder and are experiencing severe symptoms, such as diarrhea, vomiting, or fever". Further prompting hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) that is life-threatening condition that affects kidney function.

https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks/investigation-update-e-coli-o157-2024.html

CDC also claims how this outbreak has caused at least 75 infections across 13 states, with Colorado reporting the highest number of cases. Other sources like Detroit News, Colorado Sun and Today have reported similar statements.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/2024/10/29/teen-fights-kidney-failure-after-eating-at-mcdonalds-before-e-coli-outbreak-was-detected/75924322007/

https://coloradosun.com/2024/10/22/ecoli-outbreak-colorado-mcdonalds/

https://www.today.com/health/news/mcdonalds-e-coli-outbreak-states-rcna176772

Answer 5

After further research I was able to find that the CDC is conducting an investigation linked to the E. coli in McDonald's quarter pounder. Here is a quote from the article:

"McDonald’s is collaborating with investigation partners to determine what food ingredient in Quarter Pounders is making people sick. McDonald’s stopped using fresh slivered onions and quarter pound beef patties in several states while the investigation is ongoing to identify the ingredient causing illness.

Taylor Farms, the supplier of slivered onions to the affected McDonald’s locations, has initiated a voluntary recall and has asked customers to stop using some onions while this investigation is ongoing. Food service customers were contacted directly and told to remove onions." 

The onions in the burger is the leading cause to the E. coli break out. This is a true claim 

https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks/e-coli-O157.html

Answer 6

This claim, in my opinion, is accurate, and the source article looks to be rather reliable. The fact that it quotes the CDC, a government agency, about their reports on the E. Coli outbreak connected to McDonald's is one of the main causes. The article includes statements and updates from McDonald's acknowledging the incident and stating that they are striving to make things right. Additionally, the outbreak appears to be legitimate because it is being covered by other prominent media outlets like CBS.

Additionally, according to the CDC, at least 75 infections have resulted from this outbreak in up to 13 states, with Colorado accounting for the majority of cases. Similar information has been reported by other sites such as Today and Detroit News. 

 

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/2024/10/29/teen-fights-kidney-failure-after-eating-at-mcdonalds-before-e-coli-outbreak-was-detected/75924322007/

https://www.today.com/health/news/mcdonalds-e-coli-outbreak-states-rcna176772

https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/outbreaks/e-coli-O157.html

https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-stories/article/always-putting-food-safety-first.html

Answer 7

The claim "Teen with E. coli is battling kidney failure after eating McDonald’s Quarter Pounders" is true. According to AP News, Kamberlyn Bowler had to be rushed to a hospital for kidney failure following eating a McDonald's Quarter Pounder. The E. coli was said to be found from the onions on the burger.

Answer 8

The original article appears credible, and I believe the claim is true. A key reason for this trustworthiness is its citation of the CDC, a reputable government organization, regarding the E. Coli outbreak linked to McDonald's. The fast-food chain has also acknowledged the issue and provided updates on their response, which the article references. Numerous other outlets, like AP News and CBS, are covering the story as well. It’s important to highlight that the source of the E. Coli was not the meat but the onions used on the Quarter Pounders, a detail the CDC confirms. As for the teen who experienced kidney failure, that claim also seems valid, with several news sources in Colorado reporting on her situation.