A US teenager is battling for her life in the hospital with kidney failure – a rare and potentially life-threatening complication of E. coli poisoning she got after eating the infamous McDonald's Quarter Pounder burgers. According to news reports, 15-year-old Kamberlyn Bowler went to McDonald’s several times for her favourite meal days before getting sick due to a bacterial infection outbreak in which one person died and a dozen others were hospitalized.

Doctors say Kimberly was previously healthy and active.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 75 people across 13 states have been infected with E. coli following meals at the fast-food chain. McDonald’s says the most likely source of contamination was slivered onions which have now been removed from its menu.

Brittany Randall, the mother of Kamberlyn – a high school freshman, said her daughter’s symptoms started this month with a fever and stomach pain – which were not concerning initially. “We both thought I just had a fever, like just the flu or something — a stomach bug,” Brittany told NBC News. Randall took Kamberlyn to the doctor when she began inconsistently throwing up and then to the emergency room for some scans, which didn’t show anything significant, she said. But back at home, Kamberlyn didn’t get better.

“I think it was day six that she said: ‘Something’s not right. I don’t feel good. I need to go back to the hospital,’” Randall said. This time, the tests showed something alarming: Kamberlyn had an E. coli infection so severe that she was in renal failure. Last week, she was airlifted to a hospital in Colorado, where she has remained ever since.

After several tests, doctors diagnosed Kamberlyn with enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome, or HUS, which arises if E. coli bacteria attack the kidneys. She has received multiple rounds of dialysis in the hospital.

Doctors say the teenager's kidneys are showing “some signs” of functioning again but that it’s not clear what the extent of the lasting damage will be.

According to experts, while the common symptoms for those infected with E. coli start 3-4 days after they consume contaminated food and include severe stomach cramps, diarrhoea, and vomiting, most people recover without treatment within a week.

However, a small percentage of patients – around 2 per cent, can develop HUS. Doctors say those who are either very young or old are the most susceptible to HUS which affects the kidneys and blood clotting functions of infected people.

According to experts, apart from HUS, E. coli sometimes also causes other life-threatening complications, including:

A serious, deadly reaction to an infection in your bloodstream can lead to coma and death.

Malnutrition or delayed growth in children who get chronic diarrhoea as their bodies may not be able to absorb the nutrients they need to grow.

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