Carrots linked to E. coli outbreak

Wyoming is among 18 states affected by an outbreak of E. coli 0121 infections that have been linked to organic carrots.

Carrots that are currently on the shelves of stores are not likely to be affected, but they may be present in your home.

The carrots are sold by Grimmway Farms and may come under a number of brand names, including 365, Bunny Luv, Cal-Organic, Compliments, Full Circle, Good & Gather, GreenWise, Grimmway Farms, Marketside, Nature’s Promise, O-Organic, President’s Choice, Raley’s, Simple Truth, Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, Wegmans and Wholesome Pantry.

If you have baby carrots in your fridge under one of these names that has a best-if-used-by date between September 9 and November 12, or whole organic carrots (which do not come with a best-if-used-by date), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends throwing them out or returning them to the store.

The CDC also recommends washing any items and surfaces that may have touched the carrots and watching for symptoms of E. coli infection.

These can include diarrhea with a fever above 102 degrees F, diarrhea for more than three days or bloody diarrhea, vomiting to the point you cannot keep liquids down or signs of dehydration.

Most people will experience severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. Symptoms generally begin three or four days after swallowing the bacteria and most people recover within a week.

Some people may develop serious kidney problems for which hospitalization would be necessary.

At this time, there are 39 known cases of E. coli infection, of which 15 people have been hospitalized and one has died.