McDonald's Linked to Deadly E. coli Outbreak in the US

washington - One person has died and dozens have fallen ill following a severe E. coli outbreak in the United States.

The outbreak, which began at the end of September, has spread across ten western states. There have been 49 cases, with most occurring in Colorado and Nebraska, according to the CDC.

Ten people have been hospitalized, including a child with a severe condition affecting the blood vessels in the kidneys. An elderly resident of Colorado has died, the CDC reported. All victims were infected with the same strain of E. coli and had consumed Quarter Pounders from McDonald's before developing symptoms.

Investigators have not yet identified the specific ingredient that caused the outbreak but are focusing on sliced onions and beef hamburgers. Products containing these ingredients are not available at McDonald's restaurants in the affected states pending further investigation.

McDonald's stated in a release that the E. coli outbreak was caused by contaminated onions supplied by a specific vendor. As a precaution, the company is temporarily ceasing the sale of Quarter Pounders in the affected states, McDonald's mentioned.