McDonald's Quarter Pounders linked to E. coli outbreak, CDC says

• Most illnesses are in Colorado and Nebraska, the alert said.

Zoom in: "This is a fast-moving outbreak investigation. Most sick people are reporting eating Quarter Pounder hamburgers from McDonald's and investigators are working quickly to confirm which food ingredient is contaminated," the CDC's alert said.

• "McDonald's has pulled ingredients for these burgers, and they won't be available for sale in some states," the CDC said.
• "McDonald's reported to CDC that it has stopped using fresh slivered onions and quarter pound beef patties in several states," the CDC said.
• McDonald's posted a statement on its website about the outbreak Tuesday and said it has "paused the distribution of all slivered onions in the impacted area."

McDonald's E. coli outbreak: States with illnesses

The CDC's map shows where the 49 sick people in the outbreak are from.

• Colorado has 26 illnesses, while Nebraska has nine. Wyoming and Utah have four cases each, the CDC said.
• Oregon, Montana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri each have one case, the map shows.

McDonald's temporarily removes Quarter Pounder from some restaurants

What's next: The restaurant chain is "temporarily removing the Quarter Pounder from restaurants in the impacted area," Cesar Piña, McDonald's North America chief supply chain officer, said in a statement.

• This includes locations in "Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming, as well as portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, and Oklahoma."
• "We take food safety extremely seriously and it's the right thing to do," Piña said. "Impacted restaurants are receiving a stock recovery notice today and should reach out to their field supply chain manager or distribution center with any questions."

Yes, but: McDonald's said its "other beef products (including the Cheeseburger, Hamburger, Big Mac, McDouble and the Double Cheeseburger) are unaffected and available."

E. coli symptoms

Threat level: Most people infected with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli experience severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting, the CDC said.

• Symptoms usually start three to four days after "swallowing the bacteria" and most recover without treatment after five to seven days.
• The infection can lead to serious kidney problems and some people need to be hospitalized. It can also lead to kidney failure and death, the CDC said.
• Those most at risk include seniors, young children, pregnant women and anyone with a compromised immune system, said Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog for U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG).

More from Axios:

• Viral TikTok trends are changing what America eats
• The season of holiday price cuts has arrived
• "Wicked" fever is here with Starbucks drinks and movie merch

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information and a statement from McDonald's.