State officials have confirmed that the nationwide outbreak of E. coli linked to bags of organic carrots have resulted in several cases in Minnesota.
Organic whole carrots and organic baby carrots have been recalled from shelves nationwide due to a multi-state Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Five Minnesotans between 15 and 44 years old were confirmed to have fallen ill between Sept. 21 and Oct. 6 after consuming the affected carrots, the Minnesota Department of Health announced Monday.
One person has been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported. MDH is working with the MDA, CDC, and FDA in the ongoing, multi-state investigation.
Symptoms caused by E. coli include stomach cramps, diarrhea, and a low-grade or no fever. People usually become ill three to four days after exposure, but it can range from one to eight days. While most people recover in five to seven days. Infections can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a severe complication that involves acute kidney failure.