WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Federal officials on Wednesday reported more cases of among people who ate at McDonald鈥檚, as government investigators seeking the outbreak鈥檚 source identified an 鈥渙nion grower of interest鈥� in Washington state.
The Food and Drug Administration said have fallen ill in the outbreak, up from 75 at the end of last week. The number of people hospitalized increased by five, to 27 people. One death has been tied to the outbreak.
Officials have said raw, slivered onions on McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers are the likely source of the E. coli. McDonald's said the onions came from a single supplier, the California-based Taylor Farms. The company has since recalled the yellow onions it sent to McDonald's and other restaurant chains.
The FDA said Wednesday it has begun inspecting Taylor Farm鈥檚 processing center in Colorado Springs as well as an 鈥渙nion grower of interest鈥� in Washington state. It did not name the grower.
More than 80% of people with E. coli interviewed by government investigators reported eating McDonald's items containing fresh, slivered onions, the FDA noted.
McDonald鈥檚 said last week that onions from the Colorado Springs facility were distributed to approximately 900 of its restaurants, including some in transportation hubs like airports. The restaurant chain that it would resume serving at hundreds of its restaurants after testing as the source of the outbreak.
The strain of E. coli behind the outbreak can cause dangerous diarrhea and lead to kidney failure and other serious problems. It causes about 74,000 infections in the U.S. annually, leading to more than 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
FDA officials said Wednesday the current risk of illness 鈥渋s low because the onions have been recalled and should no longer be available.鈥� They noted that all of the reported cases occurred before Taylor Farms and McDonald's removed the onions from the market.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute鈥檚 Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Matthew Perrone, The Associated Press
