E. associated with McDonald's food. The Coloradan who died of a coli infection was a Mesa County resident

Update: 4:02 pm

Believed to be associated with McDonald's Quarter Pounder e. coli outbreak was felt particularly hard in western Colorado, where more than a dozen residents became ill and one died.

In a press release Wednesday and a subsequent interview, Mesa County Public Health noted that the state's 26 confirmed E. At least 10 of the coli cases have been found in Mesa County, including the nation's only fatality E in their system. The county is still waiting on lab genome results for many sick people to confirm whether or not coli is present.

The state health department suspects that all Colorado McDonald's locations receive ingredients from the same suppliers statewide, so it believes all of the chain's locations in the state may be affected.

The confirmed Colorado cases so far have come from nine counties across the state: Arapahoe, Chaffee, El Paso, Gunnison, Larimer, Mesa, Routt, Teller and Weld. McDonald's locations may not be in the county where the infected people live, according to the agency, which said the numbers are expected to change as more cases are investigated.

Federal health data show the first case linked to the outbreak was recorded on September 27, and no new cases have been confirmed since October 11.

“The person who died was an older adult,” said Dr. Rachel Herlihy, a state epidemiologist. “We know that older adults and young children are going to be the most susceptible to serious disease outcomes when it comes to this type of E. coli infection, with a higher chance of complications from the infection.”

He said the eight hospitalizations were in a wide age group, “but we are lucky that we don't have cases among young children in the state.”

The youngest cases occurred in their teens, he said, “but we know that the youngest children are going to be the most susceptible to serious consequences. So good that we haven't seen that.”

He said the health department had started the investigation because it found that E. coli cases rise above normal baseline levels and trigger investigations, which include questioning people who have reported similar symptoms.

“We interview the cases so they can eat until they get sick.” Investigators will ask questions about what those foods were, when they ate them and where they ate them “to understand if there is a possible link between these cases.”

The agency then combines that data with laboratory data, whole-genome sequencing or genetic fingerprinting data that give it more information and can tell investigators that “these bacteria are genetically related to each other in a way that helps us piece together a more complete picture. Possible outbreaks, ” he said.

The outbreak was first reported Tuesday and is believed to be linked to onions served in quarter pounders, Mesa County officials said in the release, citing the Food and Drug Administration. However, investigators are still looking into the possibility that the beef patties were contaminated.

“While the specific source of the contamination is still under investigation, preliminary information from the Food and Drug Administration indicates that McDonald's Quarter Pounder onions may be a source of this outbreak, with fresh-sleeved onions primarily used in Quarter Pounder hamburgers and not on other menu items. items,” Mesa County Public Health Deputy Director Erin Minerath said in the release. “USDA is also looking at beef patties in quarter pounder hamburgers.”

Mesa County Public Health is conducting interviews with residents to further determine the source of the infection.

“We have local experts with an efficient system to handle these situations. This helps speed up investigations to prevent additional people from getting sick,” said Minerath.

E. coli is a bacterium found in many places in nature, especially in the intestinal bacteria of animals and humans. There are many different types, many of which are harmless, some even theorized to be potentially beneficial as normal gut flora.

“However, there are some strains of E-coli that are particularly pathogenic or can cause disease. And so that's what we're seeing here with this McDonald's outbreak,” said Dr. Daniel Pastula, professor of neurology, infectious disease and epidemiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the University of Colorado School of Public Health. “It has been shown to be pathogenic in the past.”

In some cases, he said, the infection could prove serious, especially in children under five, people over 65 and those with weakened immune systems. It can cause gastroenteritis, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

“This is not the type of E. coli you want to introduce into your body,” he said.

Bacteria produce toxins that can enter your intestinal tract. It can cause some bleeding and bloody stools in severe cases, he said. Additionally, due to fluid loss from diarrhea and vomiting, it can lead to severe dehydration. Sometimes a person with severe symptoms will be hospitalized, and, although rare, such infections can lead to kidney failure.

“We think it's caused by the toxin causing a big inflammatory cascade in the smallest blood vessels and causing little blood clots. So in some cases, it can be quite serious,” he said.

The strain is often food-borne, which is why, Pastula said, it's important to cook meat at high enough temperatures, avoid cross-contamination of food during food preparation, avoid pasteurized dairy products, wash hands and clean surfaces.

Every investigator interviewed reported eating at McDonald's before the onset of illness, specifically saying they had eaten a quarter pounder.

McDonald's told the CDC that it has proactively removed sleeved onion and beef patties used for quarter-pounder hamburgers from stores in the state as the investigation continues. Quarter-pounder hamburgers may be temporarily unavailable in some states, the company said.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, most strains of E.coli are spread through fecal-oral transmission.

“It occurs when bacteria in stool that are too small to see enter your mouth and digestive tract,” it says on its website. Some forms can also be transmitted through undercooked meat and pasteurized beverages.

It lists possible ways to get E. coli as eating contaminated food, drinking unpasteurized beverages, running contaminated water or getting it in your mouth, defecating or touching contaminated surfaces and not wiping properly after going to the bathroom.

“What you're seeing with contaminated ground beef or cross-contamination with vegetables or whatever, they could be little bits of fecal material at their microscopic level,” that make their way into the food, Pastula said.

He said pinpointing the exact source of contamination often requires a complex investigation, with the CDC partnering with local and state public health agencies.

“This just shows the importance of a strong public health response system because this type of outbreak will never go away completely,” Pastula said. “We need to be able to respond quickly and prevent future cases from happening as much as we can.”

This is a developing story and may be updated.