39 sickened, 15 hospitalized in E. coli outbreak linked to organic carrots

Multiple brands of organic carrots have been recalled due to a multistate outbreak of E. coli that has sickened at least 39 people.

On Saturday (Nov. 16), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that Grimmway Farms, headquartered in Bakersfield, California, had recalled certain brands of its organic whole carrots and organic baby carrots. These carrots should no longer be available in grocery stores but may still be in consumers' fridges or freezers, the statement noted. The details of the brands and bag sizes that have been recalled can be found in the FDA's announcement.

These carrots have been tied to an outbreak of E. coli, or Escherichia coli, a bacterial infection that can be severe, or even fatal, for young children, older people and people with weakened immune systems. As of Nov. 17, 39 people in 18 states have been infected by the same strain of E. coli, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported.

Fifteen of those people have been hospitalized, and one in California died.

The total number of people affected by the outbreak is likely higher, the CDC said. That's because the infection takes several days to manifest, and it takes weeks for officials to confirm that a case is tied to a given outbreak. Additionally, milder cases of infection likely go unreported.

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The type of bacteria tied to the outbreak is known as E. coli O121:H19. These microbes release a toxin that can damage the lining of the intestines, causing bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms include stomach cramps, fever, nausea and vomiting. In really severe cases, the infection can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), in which blood cells and the kidneys are damaged, potentially leading to kidney failure and death.

No one in the ongoing outbreak has developed HUS, the CDC noted. But, as evidenced by the fatality in California, E. coli can be deadly even if a person doesn't develop HUS.

Health officials interviewed most of the people confirmed to have been sickened in the outbreak and found that a large percentage reported eating carrots before falling ill. They reported buying different brands of carrots from different stores, but investigators were able to identify Grimmway Farms as the common supplier across many of the cases.

"FDA is working with Grimmway Farms to determine the source of contamination, whether additional products are affected, and what retailers received the recalled carrots," the CDC noted.

In the meantime, health officials advise consumers to check their fridges and freezers for the recalled carrots and throw away any they find. Wash any items or surfaces that may have touched the recalled carrots, using hot, soapy water or a dishwasher.

Contact a health care provider if any severe symptoms of E. coli infection develop, such as high fever, vomiting or bloody diarrhea. Symptoms typically arise within three or four days of E. coli exposure, but they could emerge up to 10 days later.

The states where people have gotten sick so far include Arkansas, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming.

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