Answering your questions about the E. coli outbreak in carrots

The Centers for Disease Control have recalled organic carrots infected with E. coli that have sickened 39 people in 18 states, and caused one death in Los Angeles, linked to a California grower.

Officials said the infection period for most people has passed, but warned consumers to throw away any recalled carrots or those with unknown dates.

Here is what you need to know about the outbreak.

Where did illnesses occur?

The CDC has reported five people sickened in New York by E. coli strain 0121, although officials did not list exact locations or if any illnesses were reported on Long Island. There were also 3 cases reported in New Jersey.

Oregon leads the nation with eight illnesses, followed by five cases in Minnesota and New York. The person who died in California was over the age of 65 with a medical condition, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Health.

Dr. Andrew Handel, a pediatric infectious diseases expert at Stony Brook Children's Hospital, said he knew of no Long Island case involving E. coli in carrots.

"E. coli can cause no symptoms to mild symptoms to symptoms that are very severe," Handel said. "It looks pretty widespread. Usually when produce gets infected, it’s on the processing line in the factory or machinery is contaminated and large amounts of carrots shipped through whole country."

What products are affected?

The recalled carrots were sold between Aug. 14 through Oct. 23. Baby carrots have best-used-by dates ranging from Sept. 11 through Nov. 12. Bagged whole carrots have no use-by date.

"Carrots on store shelves right now are likely not affected but may be in people's homes," the CDC said on their website. "If you have any recalled carrots in your home, throw them out or return them to the store."

The recalled carrots include organic whole carrots and bagged baby carrots from Grimmway Farms. The carrots which are also sold under brands including Cal-Organic, Nature’s Promise and Good & Gather, were sold at stores such as Whole Foods, Target, Trader Joe’s and Wegmans grocery stores.

"One factory sold carrots to different companies to use their own packaging and there were a number of stores and brands involved," Handel said. "Most of the carrots are probably not in the stores right now and were sold from August through September."

What are the symptoms of an E. coli infection?

Symptoms of E. coli include stomach cramps, vomiting, persistent diarrhea, including sometimes bloody diarrhea and an occasional fever. Others include increased dehydration, reduced urination and, in more serious cases, life-threatening kidney damage.

Because the recall date may have passed, more people may have been infected than what was reported, Handel said. Most milder symptoms may have passed, but anyone with persistent conditions should check with their doctor, Handel said.

"Anyone who has eaten carrots may have had these symptoms within a week and should speak to medical providers," Handel said. "The real challenge for public health investigators is they don’t hear about outbreaks until after cases happen. ... The reported cases are likely a fraction of the number of people infected."

What precautions can consumers take?

Consumers should try to wash and cook carrots when possible, but when in doubt, throw them away, Handel said.

Anyone who may have been infected can usually recover at home and should drink extra fluids. Most people recover in about five to seven days without treatment, according to the CDC.

Washing and cooking carrots can reduce most illnesses, but consumers should throw away any carrots under the recall dates or from an unknown date, officials said.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.