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The CDC said 104 people in 14 states were infected in the outbreak. It led to 27 hospitalizations and one previously reported death in an older adult in Colorado.
The agency first announced the outbreak on October 22. CDC Pointed to the freshly chopped onion. Featured on Quarter Pounders and other menu items as a possible source of the outbreak.
Quarter-pounder hamburgers are a staple menu item for McDonald’s, earning billions of dollars each year. The company temporarily removed these burgers from some locations following the outbreak, but has since brought the menu item back.
While the outbreak is officially over, McDonald’s is still dealing with the fallout from sales.
According to a research note from Gordon Haskett, foot traffic at its U.S. restaurants was down 6.6 percent on Nov. 18 from a year ago. This is an improvement from the seven-day rolling average low point of 11% traffic decline on October 29.
According to the note, the CDC is the first to see a sharp drop in traffic linked to the outbreak, with a combined 9.5 percent drop on Nov. 18.
The company is reportedly planning to invest more than $100 million in marketing and targeted financial assistance to affected franchisees.
McDonald’s has brought back its popular McRib, starting Tuesday despite a “farewell tour” last year. The chain will also introduce a new Make Value menu in January, hoping to attract customers looking for cheap deals.
McDonald’s shares have fallen 7% since the CDC first linked China’s Quarter Pounders to the outbreak. The company has a market cap of $209.6 billion.