McDonald’s shares sink almost 10% after dozens of people poisoned by their “Quarter Pounder” hamburgers

McDonald’s shares sink almost 10% on Wall Street after a outbreak of the bacteria “Escherichia coli” related to its hamburgers known as “Cuarto de Libra”The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported this Tuesday.

As the hours passed, the company’s papers cut its losses to 6% in the after market. The focus of poisoning began at the end of September, and has spread across 10 western states, with most of the 49 cases concentrated in Colorado and Nebraska, according to the health agency.

A total of 10 people have been hospitalized, including a child with hemolytic uremic syndrome, a serious illness that damages blood vessels in the kidneys. “An elderly person from Colorado has died,” says a statement from the CDC.

All affected people were carriers of the same strain of “E. coli” and reported having eaten the hamburgers “Quarter pound” McDonald’s before developing symptoms.

Although the authorities They have not yet identified the exact ingredient causing the outbreak, They focus on onions and beef, which have been removed from restaurants in affected states pending further investigation.

The CDC advised anyone who ate one of these burgers and developed symptoms of E. coli poisoning, such as diarrhea, fever above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and vomiting, to see a doctor. These signs usually begin three to four days after exposure, and most people recover within five to seven days without treatment. However, some conditions may worsen and require hospitalization.

What they said from Arcos Dorados, McDonald’s operator in Argentina

In response to a query Scope, Golden Arches, McDonald’s operator in 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Argentina, clarified that “it does not supply the ingredient or the supplier involved in the incident reported in the United States and, furthermore, reiterates its strict commitment to offering its clients the highest standards of food quality and safety.

The latter includes “careful selection and permanent audits of its suppliers, in addition to product traceability”, spokespeople for Arcos Dorados in Argentina highlighted.

In turn, they indicated that those high standards of food quality and safety you can check them “any consumer through Open Door tours at McDonald’s restaurants operated by the company.”