BY MELISSA PATRICK
KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS
A total of 23 infants in 13 states, including one in Kentucky, have been hospitalized amid an outbreak of infant botulism linked to a recalled ByHeart formula, according to federal health officials.
The Associated Press reports that the Kentucky case involves the daughter of Michael and Hanna Everett, of Richmond. Piper is 4 months old and was hospitalized Nov. 8 with worsening symptoms of the disease. The AP reports that the Everetts, along with another family from Arizona, have filed lawsuits against the makers of the ByHeart baby formula.
Updated advisories, published Friday, Nov. 14 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, say the recent outbreak total includes eight new cases, up from the 15 reported in the Nov. 11 update. No deaths have been reported.
An ongoing multistate outbreak investigation is being conducted by the FDA and CDC, in collaboration with the California Department of Public Health Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program, along with other state and local health authorities, according to the advisories.
The outbreak now includes Arizona, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington, according to the CDC.
Botulism is a rare but serious illness. According to the CDC, it is caused by a bacteria that can produce toxins in food, wounds and the intestines of infants. The toxin attacks the body’s nerves and causes difficulty breathing, muscle paralysis and even death.
Infant botulism occurs when a baby swallows Clostridium botulinum spores, which can then grow in the gut and produce toxin, the agency states.
Symptoms of infant botulism can include poor feeding, constipation, loss of head control, decreased facial expression and difficulty swallowing. If untreated, infants with infant botulism experience progressive, flaccid paralysis that can lead to breathing difficulties and require weeks of hospitalization, according to the CDC.
“Seek immediate medical care if your infant has consumed ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula and has any of these symptoms,” the CDC states.
Further, the CDC says that because symptoms of infant botulism can take several weeks to develop, parents should remain vigilant if they used ByHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula.
Recommendations:
Stop using any ByHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula immediately.
If a baby consumed a recalled product, close it, label it as DO NOT USE, and keep it for 30 days. If the baby remains symptom-free, discard it.
Take a photo or record the information on the bottom of the product.
If the product was never opened or used, it’s safe to discard it now.
There is now an Infant Botulism Outbreak Hotline if you have questions. Call 1-833-398-2022.
Kentucky Health News is an independent news service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, based in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.