By Diyar Guldogan
WASHINGTON (AA) - At least 75 people across 13 US states have been sickened by E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday.
Illnesses started on dates ranging from Sept. 27 to Oct. 10, the CDC said, adding 22 people have been hospitalized, two people developed a dangerous kidney disease complication, and one person died.
"The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses," it added.
The people who have gotten sick have ranged in age from 13 to 88, and most are men, according to the CDC.
The world's largest burger chain temporarily said in a statement on Tuesday that the initial findings from the investigation indicate that a subset of illnesses may be linked to slivered onions used in the Quarter Pounder.
"As a result, and in line with our safety protocols, all local restaurants have been instructed to remove this product from their supply and we have paused the distribution of all slivered onions in the impacted area," it added.