Amid an E. coli outbreak that has left at least 49 people sickened across 10 states and resulted in one confirmed death, McDonald’s announced Tuesday that it was temporarily pulling its Quarter Pounder hamburger from locations in multiple states.

“The selection to do this is not one we receive lightly, and it was made in close consultation with the CDC,” McDonald’s USA president Joe Erlinger said in a video statement on Tuesday.

McDonald’s North America Chief Supply Chain Officer Cesar Piña said in a statement posted Tuesday that an initial investigation into the outbreak indicated “a subset of illnesses may be linked to slivered onions used in the Quarter Pounder and sourced by a single supplier that serves three distribution centers.”

Piña added that the quick food giant was pausing distribution of slivered onions in affected states, and that stake recovery notices were being distributed to restaurants in the impacted areas.

E. coli outbreak linked to McDonald’s:view chart of cases

Where are Quarter Pounders being removed from McDonald’s menus?

In its Oct. 22 statement, McDonald’s said the Quarter Pounder was being removed from the menu at locations in Colorado, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming.

The menu item is also being removed from locations in portions of Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, recent Mexico, and Oklahoma.

The business also stated it was working with alternative suppliers to bring back the signature burger to affected states in the coming weeks. No other menu items have been pulled.

E. coli cases reported in 10 states

As of Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had reported illnesses in the following states:

• Colorado
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Montana
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• Oregon
• Utah
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration said it was working to confirm whether the onions are the source of the outbreak, and determine if they have been sold at any other businesses.

Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at [email protected]