I fell severely ill with E Coli after eating McDonald's Quarter Pounder - here's what it felt like and why I'm suing

Clarissa DeBrock is suing McDonald's aft she ate 1 of nan fast-food giant's celebrated burgers and was hospitalized pinch E.coli. 

Ms DeBrock, 33, consumed a Quarter Pounder pinch her fiancé and two-year-old boy Kai astatine her section McDonald's successful North Platte, Nebraska, past month.

The burger looked and tasted normal, but 5 days later she started to suffer from abdominal cramps, diarrhea and nausea. Her symptoms became truthful terrible that connected September 25 she went to nan emergency department.

Tests showed she had been infected pinch E.coli strain O157:H7, nan same arsenic nan 1 connected to nan caller outbreak astatine nan world's largest accelerated nutrient chain.

The CDC has reported 49 cases of E.coli connected to nan outbreak across 10 states, including 10 group who were hospitalized and 1 personification who died betwixt September 27 and October 11.

Investigators judge nan E.coli outbreak stems from nan onions used successful McDonald's Quarter Pounders and nan institution has removed some items from restaurants while officials investigate. 

Ms DeBock, who is simply a receptionist astatine a section surgical center, told NBC News: 'I could conscionable show that thing was disconnected by nan cramps, conscionable because they were truthful bad.

'You get cramps pinch nan flu and stuff, but it was different.'

She added: 'It's conscionable scary, I guess, conscionable because you spot them arsenic a fast-food place. You're putting your spot successful them to supply 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 abstracted meals.

She is now suing McDonald's for compensation successful mislaid wages, aesculapian bills and beingness and affectional suffering.

While nan CDC is alert of 49 cases of E.coli, nutrient information experts person warned nan outbreak is apt much widespread, because of a hold successful symptoms. Some cases whitethorn besides beryllium managed astatine location and clear wrong a fewer days, meaning they spell undiagnosed and are not reported. But wellness officials are concerned because nan germs down it could origin semipermanent harm to nan body.

Trevor Craig, a nutrient information master pinch Microbac Laboratories successful Pennsylvania, told DailyMail.com: 'O157 is overmuch faster than listeria, group tin get sick from it wrong a mates of days.

'But it besides has nan imaginable to origin immoderate life-long changes to nan body, which is much superior than what we typically spot pinch listeria.'

He said it could origin imperishable harm to nan kidneys, which whitethorn time off patients needing to get dialysis — aliases humor cleaning — 3 times a week for nan remainder of their lives.

In nan US, astir 265,000 group are sickened pinch E.coli each twelvemonth and much than 100 group dice from nan illness — according to wellness chiefs. 

Infections are astir commonly caused by eating contaminated food, specified arsenic crushed beef — wherever a contaminated portion of an animals intestine has sewage into nan proviso — vegetables, which whitethorn person been reared utilizing contaminated water, and unpasteurized milk.

Older adults, young children and those pinch underlying conditions are peculiarly astatine consequence from nan germs because they person weakened immune systems.

Patients usually commencement to suffer symptoms 3 to 4 days aft being infected, though they tin commencement much than a week later.

These see diarrhea, tummy cramps and nausea, which whitethorn clear up wrong a fewer days.

If group commencement to suffer from diarrhea that is persistent, terrible aliases bloody, however, past it is recommended that they activity attraction astatine nan ER.

Ms DeBock is suing McDonald's for compensation successful mislaid wages, aesculapian bills and beingness and affectional suffering. She doesn't consciousness nan 13,500-locations edifice concatenation should person put her successful harms way.

Her suit was revenge by Ron Simon and Associates, and is nan 2nd from nan rule patient — aft 1 was besides revenge for a man successful Colorado earlier this week who besides believes he contracted E Coli from a McDonald's burger.

The CDC revealed nan outbreak connected Tuesday, pinch astir cases reported successful Colorado, Utah, Nebraska and Wyoming. 

An investigation has focused connected nan chopped onions utilized successful nan Quarter Pounders, though it is not clear really these whitethorn person go contaminated.

Experts propose nan onions whitethorn person been treated pinch h2o which was contaminated pinch animal feces, starring to them carrying nan infection. E.coli outbreaks often stem from interaction pinch feces that comes from animal intestines.

The chopped onions were recalled by supplier Taylor Farms, which is headquartered successful California, connected Thursday.

Yesterday, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC besides revealed they were pulling onions from their paper arsenic a 'proactive' measure. There has been nary denotation astatine this clip that their restaurants are linked to immoderate illnesses. Burger King besides joined nan move. 

McDonald's US President told consumers to support ordering nutrient from its restaurants connected Wednesday, saying nan concatenation had taken 'swift action'.

Joe Erlinger [IS THIS THE PREZ? AYE ]said successful an interview: 'We are very assured that you tin spell to McDonald's and bask our classics.

'This was swift and decisive action by us, and it is nan Quarter Pounder and 2 ingredients connected that Quarter Pounder that are nether investigation by nan CDC.

'So, I want to opportunity to our customers that you tin confidently spell to McDonald's today.'