An outbreak of illness involving a popular menu item at a fast-food giant is putting E.coli in the national spotlight. As of Oct.
25, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports there have been 75 total cases, 22 hospitalizations and one death related to E.coli believed to be linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounders. The restaurant chain has temporarily stopped selling Quarter Pounders at many locations in the Midwest.
So far, there are four cases of the outbreak in Missouri, none of which have been reported in St. Joseph. But the bacteria can be found in all kinds of food, including the beef and onions suspected in the McDonalds cases, so awareness is key to staying safe.
"So it's a bacteria that everybody intakes at some point or another," said Kristi Billings, a communicable disease community health nurse at the St. Joseph Health Department. "Some people get ill from it, some do not.
It typically affects older and younger people a lot more devastatingly than middle-aged people." Billings said the illness affects people much like the flu virus. However, the major thing to look out for is blood in the stool and extreme dehydration.
When asked how someone can die from E.coli, Billings said kidney failure is the main cause. "That's why you see it in young kids and older adults," she said.
"Because their bodies are weaker and they can't protect their kidneys as well, and so their kidneys end up failing." Billings said those who are infected by E.coli should be sure to s.