Clarissa DeBrock is suing McDonald’s after she ate one of the fast-food giant’s famous burgers and was hospitalized with E.coli.
Ms DeBrock, 33, consumed a Quarter Pounder with her fiancé and two-year-old son Kai at her local McDonald’s in North Platte, Nebraska, last month.
The burger looked and tasted normal, but five days later she started to suffer from abdominal cramps, diarrhea and nausea. Her symptoms became so severe that on September 25 she went to the emergency department.
Tests showed she had been infected with E.coli strain O157:H7, the same as the one connected to the recent outbreak at the world’s largest fast food chain.
In an update today, the CDC reported 75 people had now fallen sick with E.coli connected to the outbreak across 13 states. Of these, 22 had been hospitalized, one had died and two had suffered from a condition that could cause kidney failure.
Investigators believe the E.coli outbreak stems from the onions used in McDonald’s Quarter Pounders and the company has removed both items from restaurants while officials investigate.
Clarissa DeBrock, a 33-year-old mother-of-one from Nebraska, is suing McDonald’s saying she believes their Quarter Pounders caused her illness
The onions from the burgers (pictured) have been at the center of an investigation into an E.coli outbreak that has so far sickened 49 people, hospitalized ten and left one dead
Ms DeBock, who is a receptionist at a local surgical center, told NBC News: ‘I could just tell that something was off by the cramps, just because they were so bad.
‘You get cramps with the flu and stuff, but it was different.’
She added: ‘It’s just scary, I guess, just because you trust them as a fast-food place. You’re putting your trust in them to provide safe food.’
Ms DeBock, who has now mostly recovered, said she was thankful her two-year-old had not been infected. Kair and her fiance ate separate meals.
She is now suing McDonald’s for compensation for lost wages, medical bills and physical and emotional suffering.
While the CDC is aware of 49 cases of E.coli, food safety experts have warned the outbreak is likely more widespread, because of a delay in symptoms. Some cases may also be managed at home and clear within a few days, meaning they go undiagnosed and are not reported. However, health officials are concerned because the bacteria behind it could cause long-term damage to the body.
Trevor Craig, a food safety expert with Microbac Laboratories in Pennsylvania, told DailyMail.com: ‘O157 is much faster than listeria, people can get sick from it within a couple of days.
‘But it also has the potential to cause some life-long changes to the body, which is more serious than what we typically see with listeria.’
He said it could cause permanent damage to the kidneys, which may leave patients needing to get dialysis — or blood cleaning — three times a week for the rest of their lives.
In the US, about 265,000 people are sickened with E.coli every year and more than 100 people die from the disease — according to health chiefs.
Infections are most commonly caused by eating contaminated food, such as ground beef — where a contaminated part of an animal’s intestine has got into the supply — vegetables, which may have been reared using contaminated water, and unpasteurized milk.
The receptionist is suing for compensation in lost wages, medical bills and physical and emotional suffering
Older adults, young children and those with underlying conditions are particularly at risk from the bacteria because they have weakened immune systems.
Patients usually start to suffer symptoms three to four days after being infected, although they can start more than a week later.
These include diarrhea, stomach cramps and nausea, which may clear up within a few days.
If people start to suffer from diarrhea that is persistent, severe or bloody, however, then it is recommended that they seek care at the ER.
Ms DeBock is suing McDonald’s for compensation in lost wages, medical bills and physical and emotional suffering. She doesn’t feel the 13,500-locations restaurant chain should have put her in harm’s way.
Her lawsuit was filed by Ron Simon and Associates, and is the second from the law firm — after one was also filed for a man in Colorado earlier this week who also believes he contracted E.coli from a McDonald’s burger.
The CDC revealed the outbreak on Tuesday, with most cases reported in Colorado, Utah, Nebraska and Wyoming.
An investigation has focused on the chopped onions used in the Quarter Pounders, although it is not clear how these may have become contaminated.
Experts suggest the onions may have been treated with water which was contaminated with animal feces, leading to them carrying the infection. E.coli outbreaks frequently stem from contact with feces that comes from animal intestines.
The chopped onions were recalled by supplier Taylor Farms, which is headquartered in California, on Thursday.
Yesterday, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC also revealed they were pulling onions from their menu as a ‘proactive’ measure. There has been no indication at this time that their restaurants are linked to any illnesses. Burger King also joined the move.
McDonald’s US President told consumers to keep ordering food from its restaurants on Wednesday, saying the chain had taken ‘swift action’.
Joe Erlinger said in an interview: ‘We are very confident that you can go to McDonald’s and enjoy our classics.
‘This was swift and decisive action by us, and it is the Quarter Pounder and two ingredients on that Quarter Pounder that are under investigation by the CDC.
‘So, I want to say to our customers that you can confidently go to McDonald’s today.’
