Shares of McDonald's have fallen by 9% amid E. coli outbreak in the US
Kyiv • UNN
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control is investigating an E. coli outbreak linked to Quarter Pounder hamburgers. 49 cases and 1 death have been reported. McDonald's temporarily removed the burgers from the menu in the affected regions.
Shares of McDonald's have fallen by 9% following reports of an E. coli outbreak in the United States, UNN reports citing MarketWatch.
Details
On Tuesday evening, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it was investigating an outbreak of E. coli that has been linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers. The outbreak has left one person dead and 10 hospitalized in 10 states, the newspaper reports.
"After initially falling more than 9% after the close, McDonald's shares ended the extended session down 5.8%," the publication writes.
"Most of the patients report eating Quarter Pounder hamburgers from McDonald's, and researchers are working quickly to confirm which food ingredient is contaminated," the CDC said.
At least 49 cases have been reported, mostly in Colorado and Nebraska, the CDC said.
In a statement, McDonald's said that initial results indicate a possible link to sliced onions used in the Quarter Pounder, which are purchased from a single supplier that serves three distribution centers.
The company did not name the supplier or distribution centers. The chain said it was asking local restaurants to remove the product from their supplies.
The company said that "out of an abundance of caution," it has temporarily removed Quarter Pounder burgers from restaurants in the affected area, which includes Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as parts of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma.
"We are working in close partnership with our suppliers to restock Quarter Pounder in the coming weeks," with the timing varying depending on local markets, the company said.
"We will continue to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and are committed to providing timely updates as we restore our full menu," the company said.
