E. coli outbreak tied to organic carrots claims one life, sickens dozens across US

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating an E. coli outbreak in at least 18 states, linked to certain organic carrots, which has resulted in at least one death.

At least 39 cases of E. coli have been linked to the carrots since early September, leading to 15 hospitalizations and one death, according to the CDC, News.Az reports, citing CNN.

The reported E. coli cases are connected to multiples sizes and brands of bagged organic baby and whole carrots recalled Saturday by Grimmway Farms, a carrot producer headquartered in Bakersfield, California.

The recalled carrots are likely no longer sold in stores but may still be in people’s homes, Grimmway Farms warned. People who have recalled carrots should throw them out or return them to the store and clean surfaces they have touched, the CDC advised.

The recall includes baby organic carrots with best-if-used-by dates ranging from September 11 to November 12 and whole organic carrots available in stores from about August 14 to October 23.

The products were sold under multiple brand names, including Grimmway Farms, Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, Good & Gather and more, according to the recall notice.

The reported illnesses may not capture the full scope of the outbreak, because it can take up to four weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak, and many infected people recover without medical care and are never actually tested for E. coli, according to the CDC.

Most people infected with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, the strain linked to the recalled carrots, usually start experiencing symptoms about 3 to 4 days after consuming the bacteria and recover without treatment after 5 to 7 days, according to the agency.

Children younger than 5, adults ages 65 and older and those with weakened immune systems are at an increased risk for infection, the CDC says.

News.Az