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Melinda Pratt's Monday started like any other: waking up the kids, turning on the TV, and making the morning coffee.
“I had it on my news channel, and I heard the carrot thing, and I leaned over to watch the TV, and Bunny-Luv Carrot was on the screen,” she said. I stopped everything and went straight to my fridge and saw that I had those carrots.
Pratt was hospitalized in October with bloody diarrhea and vomiting.
“Shortly after that, she was told she had tested positive for Shaka-toxin producing E. coli and was contacted and questioned by the health department, which confirmed she had eaten Grimway Farm carrots prior to her illness,” he said. A lawsuit was filed Monday in Kern County, Calif., Superior Court on Pratt's behalf.
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention An E. coli outbreak linked to bags of organic carrots sold at several brands including Bunny-Luv and Kroger, Publix, Target, Trader John's, Walmart, Wegmans and Whole Foods has resulted in one death. More than a dozen hospitals.
Anyone who buys carrots is advised not to eat them. Instead, throw it away and wash any items or surfaces that come in contact with them using warm, soapy water.
Grimmway Farms declined to comment on pending litigation.
The company told , “We are taking this matter seriously and are thoroughly reviewing our operations in line with our continued commitment to providing our customers with safe and high-quality products.”
The types of bacteria involved in this outbreak are E. coli O121:H19, which produces the dangerous shisha toxin. CDC says. Shiga poison It can penetrate and kill cells, causing tissue damage.
Although most strains of E. coli are harmless and aid in digestion, others can cause urinary tract infections, pneumonia, sepsis, and serious kidney problems such as hemolytic uremic syndrome.
People commonly contract E. coli by eating food or water contaminated with contaminated animal feces. Contact with the feces of an infected person.
He did research He showed. About half of organic food outbreaks are linked to produce and this can be caused by farming methods.
To order Agricultural products Being like fruits and vegetables Certified organic by the US Department of AgricultureFarmers and growers should avoid the use of prohibited substances Artificial ingredientsWhen controlling pests, weeds, disease and soil.
“In general, organic farms have less regulation than large traditional farms,” said Dr. Nicole Iovine, an infectious disease specialist and chief hospital epidemiologist at the University of Florida Health. “Organic farms are more likely to use compost or manure than commercial fertilizers. If the compost is not processed properly, the soil can become contaminated if the pathogens naturally found in animal feces are not allowed to survive.
Pratt She remembers buying Bunny-Luv carrots on September 30th.
Around October 10, she says she had stomach problems, including mild diarrhea with bloody mucus.
“Every day, it just got worse, and it just wouldn't stop,” Pratt said. “It went from having diarrhea a few times a day, which was treatable, even a stomach flu, to 10 to 15 times in a day.
The difficult part, says Iovine, is that many of the symptoms associated with E. coli infection — such as vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps — also occur in Other foodborne illnesses, so it can be difficult to know if you have an E. coli infection.
The symptoms usually start around him Three to four days After taking the bacteria. Young children and adults are more prone to serious infections.
“Most infections resolve on their own,” he said. Dr. Liana WenEmergency physician and clinical associate professor at George Washington University. She was previously Baltimore's health commissioner, which included overseeing food safety. “Patients need supportive care with rehydration, but they don't need specific treatment. Some use antibiotics. Then there are some infections, especially O157:H7, that antibiotics don't help with and can even make the disease worse.”
People with severe abdominal cramps or bloody diarrhea or who cannot keep fluids down should seek medical attention, he said.
On October 21, Pratt's symptoms became too much to handle at home.
“I couldn't take it anymore,” she said. “I can no longer take care at home and see my children and my husband looking after me. So I went to the hospital. ”
Pratt was in the hospital for three days. She says she received anti-nausea drugs and painkillers.
“The whole time I was there, I couldn't sit still because I was so uncomfortable with the pain,” she said. “It was a very sad experience.”
Iovine says the best way to avoid an E. coli infection is to stick to it. CDC recommendations: Wash your hands frequently, follow safe cooking guidelines, and wash fruits and vegetables Vegetables before eating, even if the packaging says that they have already been washed.
“Never believe [label]. Always wash your vegetables,” she said. It is the last chance to get rid of any harmful bacteria that may be present. I really know things that grow in the dirt. I squeeze them, then I remove anything from the outer layer. If it's onion, I remove that outer layer. If it's carrots, I always lose them because you can't get rid of all the dirt.
When Pratt saw a news report about the outbreak, she threw away everything and started cleaning out her fridge.
“I went ahead and threw all the other food I had with them in the trash,” she said. “I just dropped it. Brand new and all. I just didn't want to take that chance. I literally bleached and drank everything they touched.
The CDC also recommends drinking only water from safe sources. Check when walking, sitting or traveling Water is cleaned before eating. Avoid swallowing water when swimming or playing in water sources such as lakes, ponds or pools.
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Almost a month after being hospitalized, Pratt said she still feels “absolutely sluggish.”
“I haven't fully regained my energy since,” she said.
Pratt's attorney, Ron Simon, and his law firm, Ron Simon & Associates, have established the Grimmway Farms E.Coli Claims Center to represent those sickened by the outbreak.
One of the worst feelings, Pratt said, is a lack of confidence in food safety.
“You buy the food; You bring it home; You believe it,” she said. “I'm glad I am, because I have two kids who like carrots, raw carrots, just like me.”