Los Angeles:
Fresh, sliced onions served on Quarter Pounders and other McDonald's menu items are the likely source of E. coli outbreaks in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A total of 90 cases caused by E. coli have been reported in 13 US states as of Wednesday, including 15 new cases, according to the latest CDC data.
Of these cases, 27 were hospitalized and one died, Xinhua news agency reported.
The CDC says more illnesses have been reported, but they date back to before McDonald's and Taylor Farms took action to remove onions from food service locations.
Because of the product actions taken by both companies, the CDC said it believes the risk to the public is very low.
E. coli are bacteria that occur in many places, including the environment, food, water and the intestines of people and animals.
Most E. coli are harmless and part of a healthy intestinal tract. However, according to the CDC, some E. coli can make people sick with diarrhea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, sepsis and other illnesses.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Our staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)