United States: An E. coli outbreak has been connected to carrots, which were recalled earlier, resulting in dozens of illnesses in eighteen states and one death, according to the US CDC.
More about the news
At least 39 have been traced to the carrots since early September, and 15 cases have led to hospitalization, the CDC reported.
Several different sizes and brands of bagged organic baby and whole carrots were recalled Saturday by Grimmway Farms of Bakersfield, California, which bills itself as the world’s leading carrot grower.
The carrots were sold under store brands of Kroger, Publix, Target, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Wegmans, and Whole Foods, among others, CNN Health reported.
While the carrots have been pulled from supermarkets and shops, Grimmway Farms cautioned that they might still be in people’s homes.
Those who have thought about carrots should discard them or return them but purchase a new one or wash the areas they have touched, the CDC urged.
This affected baby organic carrots with use-by dates from September 11 through November 12 and whole organic carrots in stores from August 14 through October 23, CNN Health reported.
As per the notice for recall, the products were being sold under a number of brand names, such as Grimmway Farms, Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, Good & Gather, and more.
About the illness
The reported illnesses may not encompass the total number of affected individuals since it takes about four weeks to identify if a person is indeed involved in an outbreak, and several individuals who had E. coli infections improved without ever consulting a doctor and, therefore, do not undergo any tests, the CDC added.
Most people who get sick from Shiga toxin-producing E. coli develop symptoms 3 to 4 days after consuming the bacteria and recover without treatment after 5 to 7 days, the agency stated.
Moreover, among children younger than five, adults aged 65 and above, as well as others with weak immune systems, are more vulnerable to the infection, said the CDC.