A multi-state outbreak of infant botulism linked to infant formula has escalated, with federal health officials identifying another batch of cases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration released the latest updates over the weekend. Authorities have reported eight new cases since the beginning of last week, bringing the total to 23 in 13 states, all of whom have been hospitalized. The outbreak appears to be linked to infant formula produced by the company BayHeart Whole Nutrition, which has led to a mass recall of all of its products.
infant botulism
Botulism is a disease caused by botulinum toxin produced by bacteria. clostridium botulinumBotulism is often associated with contaminated foods, C. botulinumHowever, the course of the disease varies between infants and all others.
Typically, when does botulism occur? C. botulinum The food inside awakens from its spore form and begins producing botulinum toxin. Most people become ill when they eat food contaminated with poison. But in infants, botulism usually occurs when the child ingests these spores, which then activate inside their intestines and form a toxin.
It’s not clear exactly why these bacteria can only germinate inside infants, but possible factors include the lack of a robust microbiome. Symptoms of infant botulism, which include constipation, poor feeding, and trouble swallowing, develop slowly, making it hard for parents and doctors to identify the cause. In severe cases, infant botulism can cause a progressive, life-threatening paralysis that affects the baby’s breathing.
Honey is the only food clearly associated with a higher risk of infant botulism, which is why health agencies routinely recommend that families not feed honey to their babies until one year of age at the earliest. But C. botulinum Spores are ubiquitous in the environment and can end up in many different foods, including infant formula.
infant formula link
According to the CDC, the first known case of this outbreak occurred in early August, while the latest was reported on November 11.
Many parents reported feeding their babies BayHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula products before the illness. When federal health officials first reported the outbreak in early November, the company recalled two lots reportedly eaten by sick infants. After more parents reported cases linked to other lots of infant formula, the company issued an order to recall its products.
As of last week, at least 15 infants had consumed these products just before they became ill. And officials have not yet identified any other formula brands or other shared exposures that pose a risk to the general public.
As terrifying as infant botulism can be for families, most children survive a bout with it, especially with prompt medical care. Although all of the babies in the 23 cases so far have been hospitalized, all of them also received the standard treatment, the antitoxin BabyBIG. And no deaths have been reported to date.
Officials are asking the public to immediately stop using any BayHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula products they may have purchased. If people have purchased formula, they should wash and clean all surfaces that it may have touched. They should keep the formula in a secluded, safe place and throw it out after a month if their babies do not develop any illness (in the event of a suspected case, keeping the product will allow investigators to test it for confirmation). And of course, families should seek immediate medical care if their infants consumed formula and began experiencing possible symptoms of infant botulism.