Organic and baby carrots sold at grocery stores across the US have been recalled after an E. coli outbreak that has killed one person.

So far, 15 people are in hospital and 39 cases have been reported across 18 states, the US’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

The recall covers bagged carrots sold by Grimmway Farms to big supermarket names including Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods’s 365, Target’s Good & Gather, Walmart’s Marketside, Wegmans and others.

Officials say that impacted products are likely no longer in store but may still be in homes, and should be thrown away or returned to stores for a refund if so.

Most of the infected people live in New York, Minnesota and Washington, followed by California and Oregon, according to the AP news agency.

The CDC said the recalled organic whole carrots do not have a best-if-used-by date printed on the bag but were available to buy from 14 August to 23 October. Organic baby carrots with best-if-used-by dates from 11 September to 12 November are also recalled.

As well as getting rid of any recalled products, the CDC added that people should clean and sanitise any surface they may have touched.

Symptoms of O121 E. coli include severe stomach cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting, and usually start three to four days after swallowing the bacteria.

Most people recover without treatment, but some may develop serious kidney problems and need to be admitted to hospital, the CDC added.

The E. coli cases linked to carrots comes after another high-profile outbreak in the US, related to slivered onions on some McDonald’s Quarter Pounder burgers. It caused 104 people to become ill.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) previously said that one person died in October and 34 people had been admitted to hospital related to that outbreak.