Similac Cronobacter and Salmonella Newport illnesses are being investigated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). At least four infants are ill after being fed the formula. Yesterday, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services reported that another infant was diagnosed with a Salmonella infection after ingesting the recalled powdered formula. That case is not included in the CDC total. The CDC does not recommend testing infants for Cronobacter infection unless they have symptoms of meningitis or sepsis, even if they consumed recalled formula. Early symptoms of Cronobacter include excessive crying, poor feeding, a fever, and very low energy. Symptoms of meningitis or sepsis include temperature changes, jaundice, grunting breaths, and abnormal … [Read more...]
Recall Roundup For the Week of February 21, 2022
The recall roundup for the week of February 21, 2022 includes more information on the recall of powdered infant formula for possible Cronobacter and Salmonella contamination, another recall of salted plums for possible lead, and a Salmonella recall for frozen custard apple pulp that is associated with five illnesses. Recall Roundup On February 21, 2022, DC Health posted an update about the Similac, EleCare, and Alimentum powdered infant formula recall for possible Salmonella and Cronobacter contamination. Five infants are sick after being fed these formulas; three with Cronobacter and two with Salmonella. DC Health named the varieties of formula that were recalled: Similac Advance, Similac Sensitive, Similac Total Comfort, Similac for Spit Up, Alimentum, EleCare Infant, and EleCare … [Read more...]
West Virginia Infant Has Salmonella After Ingesting Powdered Formula
A West Virginia infant has Salmonella after allegedly ingesting recalled powdered infant formula, according to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR). This illness is in addition to the four infants the FDA reported sick with Cronobacter and Salmonella infections in association with certain recalled lots of Similac, EleCare, and Alimentum formula produced by Abbott Nutrition. This is the first case in that state of Salmonella in an infant as a result of consuming the formula. The other cases were from Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas. The FDA says that the products, which were produced at Abbott Nutrition's facility in Sturgis, Michigan, were distributed from September 6, 2021 to December 18, 2021. One infant death was reported, but the FDA says that death may … [Read more...]
What Are the Symptoms of a Cronobacter Sakazakii Infection?
What are the symptoms of a Cronobacter sakazakii infection? This relatively unknown pathogen can cause serious illness and death in infants, especially those who are fed powdered infant formula. While Cronobacter infections are rare, they can be deadly for infants and also can be serious among the elderly and people with compromised immune systems. Because Cronobacer infections are not reportable conditions in any state except Minnesota, the number of these illnesses that occur every year are not known. This pathogen is not tracked because it is does not cause serious illness in the general population. The CDC usually receives reports of two to four infections in infants per year. But a 2002 FoodNet survey found that invasive Cronobacter infections occur at a rate of one per 100,000 … [Read more...]
Similac Cronobacter Recall Support Offered to WIC Recipients by USDA
Similac Cronobacter recall support is being offered by the USDA so WIC participants can exchange recalled powdered infant formula. Certain lots of Similac, EleCare, and Alimentum formula are being recalled for possible Cronobacter and Salmonella contamination after four infants got sick. The formula is offered through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. The USDA Food and Nutrition Service is "strongly encouraging" agencies in affected states, territories, and tribal nations to take immediate action to make sure that WIC participants can exchange recalled baby formula and can use WIC credits to purchase product that has not been recalled. The agencies can request waivers of certain WIC regulations for maximum flexibility. The waivers that … [Read more...]
Minnesota Cronobacter Case Spurred Federal Investigation
In St. Louis County, MN, which encompasses the central and eastern portions of the Iron Range as it stretches from Duluth to the Canadian border, the leaves were reaching peak color when one of its newest and tiniest residents fell gravely ill. It was September 2021. The baby had developed a Cronobacter infection and would spend 22 days in the hospital successfully fighting it off. But because Minnesota is the only state in the nation that requires reporting of Cronobacter, which is known to cause severe, often fatal, infections in infants, that was not the end of the story. Reportable or notifiable diseases are considered to be of such great public health importance that when they are diagnosed they must be reported to state health officials who, in turn, report them to the … [Read more...]
The Long, Sad History of Cronobacter and Baby Formula
If you're lucky, the first time you ever heard the word "Cronobacter" was on a news segment last week. The foodborne pathogen with a name that sounds like a sci-fi villain doesn't make headlines often. And that's good. Because Cronobacter is only known for one thing - causing severe, often fatal, illness in newborn babies. And its main vehicle of transmission is powdered infant formula. Last week, federal health officials announced that they are investigating a possible link between Similac, EleCare, and Alimentum powdered baby formulas and the illnesses of four infants who consumed them. Three of the infants, in Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas, developed Cronobacter infections. One of them, another infant in Texas, developed a Salmonella infection. All four of the babies were … [Read more...]
What is Cronobacter Sakazakii? And Why is it a Danger in Infant Formula?
What is Cronobacter sakazakii? And why is it a danger in powdered infant formula? This pathogen is not well known but can cause serious illness and death in infants, especially babies who were premature, low birth weight, or have other health conditions or compromised immune systems. It is one of the costliest foodborne pathogens because of loss of life and serious health problems that can persist even when a patient recovers. The fatality rate in infants, even older infants, ranges from 40 to 80%. The cost of each case is estimated at $1,000,000, according to a study published in Front Microbiol. Despite the severity and high mortality rate of these infections, Cronobacter illnesses are not reportable conditions in the United States except in one state: Minnesota. That means these … [Read more...]
FDA Boosts Outreach Amid Baby Formula Cronobacter Concerns
As concerned parents scramble for information in the wake of a Cronobacter baby formula recall, the FDA is amplifying the methods consumers can use to ask questions or submit complaints. On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a consumer advisory about Similac, EleCare, and Alimentum baby formulas made at Abbott Nutrition’s Sturgis, MI facility. The advisory was prompted by three reports of Cronobacter sakazakii infections and one report of a Salmonella Newport infection in infants who had consumed these products. All four infants were hospitalized and Cronobacter may have contributed to a death in one case, according to the FDA. “As this is a product used as the sole source of nutrition for many of our nation’s newborns and infants, the FDA is deeply concerned … [Read more...]
More Information About Similac Alimentum EleCare Formula Recall
More information about the Similac Alimentum EleCare formula recall has been provided by DC Health, including lookup information for parents that the FDA has also supplied. The formula is associated with three Cronobacter illnesses and one Salmonella illness in infants who live in Minnesota, Texas, and Ohio. All four babies were hospitalized, and one infant died: the FDA states that "Cronobacter may have contributed to a death in one case." The more detailed information in the DC Health release is that parents should not use "Similac Advance, Similac Sensitive, Similac Total Comfort, Similac for Spit Up, Alimentum, EleCare Infant, and EleCare Jr. powdered formula," as long as the first two digits of the code are 22 through 37, the code on the container contains K8, SH, or Z2, and … [Read more...]
