The CDC is investigating additional reports of Cronobacter infections among infants who consumed now-recalled baby formula. Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced an investigation of four Cronobacter and Salmonella illnesses among infants who consumed Similac baby formula. Since then, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received more reports of infants with possible Cronobacter illnesses.
The FDA’s investigation includes one infant in Texas with a Salmonella Newport infection and three infants in Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas with Cronobacter sakazakii infections. All of them consumed Similac, Alimentum, or Elecare powdered baby formula. The baby in Ohio died.
The CDC is investigating if additional reports of Cronobacter illnesses are linked to the Similac, EleCare, and Alimentum baby formula produced by Abbott Nutrition at its facility in Sturgis, Michigan that is now under recall. The agency is using whole genome sequencing to compare Cronobacter isolates from the babies with environmental samples the FDA collected from the Sturgis facility to see if they are related.
What is Cronobacter?
Cronobacter is a bacteria that can live on dry foods such as powdered milk and infant formula. It is not known to cause severe illness among adults, but in infants, Cronobacter causes serious, often fatal illnesses including sepsis and meningitis. Symptoms of these serious illnesses include: blotchy skin, a pinprick rash, high fever, shivering, fatigue, rapid breathing/difficulty breathing, unusual grunting sounds, refusal to feed, stiff jerky movements, or a very floppy body, irritability, diarrhea, cold hands and feet.
If your infant has these symptoms, seek medical help right away.
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