An E. coli outbreak linked to slivered onions on McDonald's Quarter Pounders cheeseburgers has reached North Carolina.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least one case has been detected in the state. The CDC did not give a specific location as to where the case was, but said it can take anywhere between three to four weeks to determine if a case is tied to the outbreak.

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A spokesperson for McDonald's told WRAL News the CDC tied the reported cases to location of residence and not where the resident ate, adding that no restaurants in North Carolina were impacted by the outbreak.

The CDC began investigating the outbreak in October, after several people became sick after eating the burgers from the fast food chain. As of Wednesday, one person has died and 34 people have been hospitalized.

The CDC traced the outbreak back to Taylor Farms, which supplied the onions to several McDonald's restaurants, mostly in the Midwest and further west.

In response, McDonald's pulled the onions from their burgers as a precaution, and Taylor Farms issued a recall of the onions. McDonald's restaurants in Colorado resumed selling Quarter Pounders in late October after several beef patties tested negative for the bacteria.

While McDonald's is not selling the onions on their burgers, attorney John McCabe said the corporation could still face legal challenges.

"People have an obligation to sell safe food, and they have an obligation to sell safe products," he said. "When that doesn't happen, they're exposed to liability."

The CDC said because the onions were recalled and are no longer available to sell to food service operators, it is not necessary to avoid eating onions or other foods made with onions. The Food and Drug Administration also confirmed there is no concern, adding that all confirmed cases, including the case in North Carolina, originated before the fast-food chain removed the onions.

"There does not appear to be a continued food safety concern related to this outbreak at McDonald’s restaurants," the FDA said in a statement to WRAL News.

The company is facing a class-action lawsuit seeking more than $5 million in damages for the victims.

"When you have one of these cases, it's not just the McDonald's franchise on the corner, it's all the way up the chain," McCabe said.

The CDC said people should see a doctor if they are experiencing severe E. coli symptoms, including:

  • Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102° F.
    • Diarrhea for more than three days that is not improving.
      • Bloody diarrhea.
        • So much vomiting that liquids won't stay down.
          • Signs of dehydration such as:
            • Not urinating as much.
            • Dry mouth and throat.
              • Feeling dizzy when standing up.