Melinda Pratt’s Monday started like any other: waking the kids, turning on the TV and making her morning coffee.

“I had it on my news channel and I heard the carrot thing and I leaned over to watch the TV and the Bunny-Luv carrots were on the screen,” she said. “I stopped everything then and went straight to the fridge and saw that I had those carrots.”

An E. coli outbreak linked to bagged organic carrots sold under several brand names, including Bunny-Luv and store brands for Kroger, Publix, Target, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Wegmans and Whole Foods, has resulted in one death and over a dozen. hospitalizations, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SEE ALSO: 1 death reported in E. coli outbreak linked to carrots; 39 cases nationwide, CDC says

Anyone who bought the carrots is urged to avoid eating them. Instead, throw them away and wash any object or surface that may have come into contact with them using hot water and soap.

Pratt filed a lawsuit Monday in California’s Kern County Superior Court against carrot producer Grimmway Farms, claiming she tested positive for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. Grimmway Farms declined to comment on the pending litigation.

“We take this matter seriously and are conducting a thorough review of our operations, consistent with our continued commitment to providing customers with safe and high-quality products,” the company told CNN.

What is E. coli?

The type of bacteria involved in this outbreak is E. coli O121:H19, a dangerous strain of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli that has been associated with beef, romaine lettuce and water in the past, the CDC says. Shiga toxin can enter and kill cells, causing tissue damage.

Although most types of E. coli are harmless and can aid in the digestion of food, others can cause health problems such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia, sepsis, and serious kidney problems such as hemolytic uremic syndrome.

How do you get E. coli?

People usually get E. coli by eating food or water contaminated with feces from infected animals or by coming in contact with feces from an infected person.

Research has shown that about half of organic food outbreaks are linked to produce, and this may be due to farming methods.

In order for agricultural products such as fruits and vegetables to be certified organic by the US Department of Agriculture, farmers and growers must avoid the use of banned substances, such as synthetic ingredients, when managing pests, weeds, diseases and soil.

“In general, organic farms have less oversight than large, conventional 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 rather than commercially bought fertilizers. If the compost is not properly processed so that the pathogens naturally present in animal feces survive, the soil will become contaminated.”

What are the symptoms of E. coli infection?

Pratt remembers buying Bunny-Luv carrots, her snack of choice, on Sept. 30.

Around October 10, she says, she started having stomach problems, including mild diarrhea with bloody mucus.

“Every day it progressed worse and it just wouldn’t stop,” Pratt said. “It went from diarrhea a few times a day, which was manageable, even the stomach flu, to about 10 to 15 times a day.”

The tricky part, Iovine says, is that most of the symptoms associated with E. coli infection — such as vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps — are also common with other foodborne illnesses, so it can be difficult to do you know if you have E. coli infection.

Symptoms usually begin three to four days after consuming the bacteria. Young children and older adults are more vulnerable to severe infections.

How is E. coli infection treated?

“Most infections resolve on their own,” said Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and clinical associate professor at George Washington University. She previously served as Baltimore’s health commissioner, with responsibilities that included food safety oversight. “Patients need supportive treatment with hydration, but they don’t need specific therapy. Some benefit from antibiotics. Then there are some infections, particularly O157:H7, where antibiotics are not used and could actually make the disease worse.”

People who have severe stomach cramps or bloody diarrhea or who can’t keep fluids down should seek medical attention, Wen said.

Pratt’s symptoms became too much to manage at home on October 21.

“I couldn’t handle it anymore,” she said. “I couldn’t take care of it at home anymore and watch my kids and my husband watching me. So I went to the hospital.”

Pratt spent three days in the hospital. She says she was given nausea medication and pain medication.

“I didn’t sit still the whole time I was there because I was so uncomfortable with the pain,” she said. “It was just a horrible experience.”

How to prevent E. coli infection

Iovine says the best way to avoid E. coli infections is to follow the CDC’s recommendations: wash your hands frequently, follow safe food preparation instructions and wash fruits and vegetables before eating, even if on the package it says they are already washed.

“Never trust that (label). Always wash your vegetables,” she said. “It’s the last chance to get rid of any harmful bacteria that might be present. I’m really aware of things that grow in the dirt. I’ll rinse them, then remove whatever the outer layer is. If it’s an onion, I remove that outer layer. If I’m carrots, I always peel them, because you can’t remove all the dirt”.

When Pratt saw the news about the outbreak, he dropped everything and started cleaning out his refrigerator.

“I went ahead and threw all the other food we actually had in the trash with them,” she said. “I just threw it away. Brand new and all. I just didn’t want to risk it. I bleached and soaked literally everything they touched.”

The CDC also encourages drinking only water from safe sources. When hiking, camping, or traveling, make sure your water is purified before you drink it. Avoid swallowing water when swimming or playing in outdoor water sources such as lakes, ponds, or swimming pools.

Recovery and lingering effects

Almost a month after being hospitalized, Pratt says she still feels “completely lazy.”

“I haven’t fully regained my energy since,” she said.

But Pratt said one of the worst feelings was losing confidence in the safety of her food.

“You buy the food; you bring her home; trust her,” she said. “I’m glad it was me because I have two kids who absolutely love carrots, raw carrots, just like me.”