So says Ronald McDonald.

Yes, you did.

A total of 104 people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli O157:H7 were reported from 14 states. Illnesses started on dates ranging from September 12,2024, to October 21, 2024. Of 98 people with information available, 34 were hospitalized, and4 people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious condition that can cause kidney failure. One death was reported from an older adult in Colorado. This person was not one of those who developed HUS.

The true number of sick people in this outbreak was likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not have been limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for E. coli.

State and local public health officials interviewed people about the foods they ate in the week before they got sick. Of the 81 people interviewed, 80 (99%) reported eating at McDonald’s. Seventy-five people were able to remember specific menu items they ate at McDonald’s, of which 63 (84%) reported a menu item containing fresh, slivered onions. 

Some people in this outbreak reported traveling to other states before their illness started. At least seven people ate at McDonald’s during their travel.

WGS showed that bacteria from sick people’s samples were closely related genetically. This suggests that people in this outbreak got sick from the same food.

FDA tested recalled onions and one environmental sample from a grower. Both of these samples tested positive for non-O157:H7 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. The E. coli found was not the outbreak strain and no human illnesses were found related to the strain. Additional samples from this investigation were negative for E. coli.