USA - 104 people in 14 different states fall ill with the same pathogen at the same time - coincidence? No! They all ate a burger at the popular fast food chain McDonald's beforehand!

According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, the problem is not with the burger as a whole, but with the onions.

One of the fast food chain's suppliers, the American sliced vegetable company Taylor Farms, had already launched a voluntary recall of onions that had already been delivered on October 22. The onions were purchased by various restaurant chains, including the fast food giant McDonald's.

The reason for the recall was coli bacteria (E. coli) in the onions, as tracing has revealed. So far, the reports have come from 14 states, including Kansas, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana.

Unfortunately, the news came a little too late and the first "infected" burgers were already being sold to customers over the counter. These included menus with the "Quarter Pounder", which is the American equivalent of the German "Hamburger Royal".

The administration reported (as of November 13, 2024) 104 people nationwide who had contracted the bacteria from one of these burgers. Of these, 34 were admitted to hospital. The bacterium even led to kidney failure in four people.

One older adult from Colorado died as a result of his infection.