EVERETT — Two Snohomish County residents have been infected with E. coli from organic carrots as part of an outbreak that has sickened people in 18 states across the country, state health officials said Sunday.
As of Sunday, eight Washingtonians had been infected, including four in King County and one each in Pierce and Franklin counties, according to the state Department of Health. Five of them were hospitalized, but none have died. It’s unclear if the Snohomish County residents infected were hospitalized.
Across the country, the outbreak has infected 39 people, leading to 15 hospitalizations and one death. Washington has the most people infected by the outbreak. Over 70% of those sickened are women and the median age is 29, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC notes the true number of those infected is likely much higher because many don’t need medical care and aren’t tested for E. coli. And recent illnesses may not have been reported yet because it usually takes three to four weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak.
The CDC has linked the E. coli outbreak to several popular brands of organic carrots, including 365, Good & Gather, Trader Joe’s, Nature’s Promise and others. On Saturday, Grimmway Farms, headquartered in Bakersfield, California, recalled the bagged baby and whole carrots.
The carrots are likely no longer in stores, but may still be in customers’ homes, the CDC warned. They were available from about Aug. 14 through Oct. 23, with best if used by dates ranging from Sept. 11 through Nov. 12.
If you have any recalled carrots in your home, throw them out. And wash any items or surfaces the carrots may have touched.
Symptoms of E. coli include diarrhea and a fever above 102 degrees, intense vomiting and signs of dehydration, like dry mouth and dizziness when standing. Symptoms usually start three to four days after consuming the bacteria. Most recover without treatment after five to seven days.
Those most at risk from E. coli include young children, seniors and people with weakened immune systems.
This is the latest in a series of E. coli outbreaks in the past few months. Over 100 people in 14 states were sickened in an outbreak linked to onions served in McDonald’s Quarter Pounder sandwiches. One died in that outbreak.
Jake Goldstein-Street: 425-339-3439; jake.goldstein-street@heraldnet.com; X: @GoldsteinStreet.
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