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July 5 (UPI) -- A South Korean mother says an undercooked McDonald's Happy Meal hamburger is responsible for her daughter's acute kidney failure. Choi Eun-ju filed a complaint Monday against McDonald's Korea, for violating local food safety regulations and serving a contaminated hamburger patty, The Korea Herald reported.
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Choi's 4-year-old child consumed the food in September 2016 at a store in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, according to local news service News 1.
About two to three hours later, the child showed symptoms of abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhea, and was diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome at an intensive care unit.
The patient was discharged after two months, but received a diagnosis of stage 2 chronic kidney disease. More than nine months later, she is reportedly undergoing peritoneal dialysis, a treatment that uses a tube to cure the abdomen.
About 90 percent of the child's kidneys are damaged, according to the plaintiff.
Hwang Da-yeon, Choi's lawyer, said the child was healthy before the incident.
"The 4-year-old victim had no health problems, but caught hemolytic uremic syndrome after eating a McDonald's hamburger," Hwang said at the Seoul District Prosecutor's Office.
The family is also requesting the release of video footage of the restaurant along with its damage claims.
According to News 1, a representative of McDonald's Korea said the firm is "deeply saddened" by the incident and wished for the "child's quick recovery."
But the representative also said an "investigation will reveal the exact cause" of the disease, adding McDonald's will "cooperate closely" with a future probe.
In 1982, pathogens linked to contaminated hamburgers sold at McDonald's outlets in the United States were responsible for an outbreak of infections.
