Is the McDonald’s Trump Worked at Part of E. Coli Quarter Pounder Outbreak?

Former President Donald Trump recently visited a McDonald’s in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, where he served french fries to pre-selected customers. Following an E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders, now under CDC investigation, questions have surfaced on social media about whether that location is affected. So far, it hasn’t been.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 49 E. coli cases across 10 states, with 10 hospitalizations and one death. The death was reported in an older person in Colorado, and one child has been hospitalized with severe kidney complications, according to the CDC.
Pennsylvania, where Trump staffed the fry station at a McDonald’s in suburban Philadelphia, has not been affected so far. But public health officials are continuing their investigations, and the CDC warned there could be cases that have not been identified.
Most cases have occurred in Colorado and Nebraska. As a precaution, McDonald’s has stopped using certain ingredients, including fresh slivered onions and Quarter Pounder beef patties, in several states while officials work to identify the contaminated source.
Infections were reported between September 27 and October 11, in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming and Wisconsin. Colorado has the most cases with 27 people getting sick, followed by Nebraska with nine.
Everyone interviewed in connection with the outbreak had reported eating at McDonald’s before falling ill and most mentioned eating Quarter Pounder hamburgers, the CDC said. The U.S. Agriculture Department, the Food and Drug Administration and state health officials are also investigating.
The specific ingredient tied to the outbreak has not been identified, but investigators are focused on onions and beef. McDonald’s reported to the CDC that it had removed slivered onions and beef patties used for Quarter Pounders from stores in the affected states. The burgers may be temporarily unavailable in those states.
E. coli bacteria are harbored in guts of animals and found in the environment. Infections can cause severe illness, including fever, stomach cramps and bloody diarrhea.
People who develop symptoms of E. coli poisoning should seek health care immediately and tell the provider what they ate.
The news comes in an already tough year for the Chicago-based chain. Its global same-store sales fell for the first time in nearly four years in the second quarter as inflation-weary customers skipped eating out or chose cheaper options. The company responded with a $5 meal deal, which was introduced at U.S. restaurants in late June and was recently extended through December. The deal doesn’t include the Quarter Pounder.
McDonald’s shares dropped 9% in after-hours trading Tuesday after the CDC’s announcement.
The type of bacteria implicated in this outbreak, E. coli O157:H7, causes about 74,000 infections in the U.S. each year, leading to more than 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths. Infections are especially dangerous for children younger than 5 and can cause acute kidney failure.
Update 10/22/24, 7:40 p.m.: This story has been edited to clarify that there is no connection between the E.coli outbreak and the McDonald’s where Trump made an appearance.