Infant botulism outbreak: Baby formula sold at Target recalled as potentially deadly infection spreads to 3 states

If you’re a parent with an infant, you should be aware that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an alert about an ongoing outbreak of infant botulism that has been linked to a now-recalled powered infant formula that was sold at Target stores, among other online locations. Here’s what you need to know about the outbreak and the recalled products. What’s happened? On Saturday, the CDC posted an alert on its website notifying the public about an ongoing multistate outbreak of infant botulism that has so far sickened 3 individuals across three states. The individuals are all infants who were aged between 2 months and 5 months when their botulism illness began. All three infants have required hospitalization to treat the disease, but thankfully, at this time, no deaths linked to the outbreak have been reported. The hospitalizations have occurred in three states: California, Pennsylvania, and Washington. At the heart of the outbreak is Nara Organics Powdered Infant Formula, which is manufactured by Nara Organics of New York, NY. All three of the infants linked to the outbreak consumed the Nara Organics Powdered Infant Formula before becoming ill. As a result of being notified about this link to the outbreak, Nara Organics issued a voluntary recall of its Nara Organics Whole Milk Infant Formula products. [Photo: via FDA] What is infant botulism? According to the CDC, infant botulism is a rare but serious illness that can occur when a baby swallows spores of the Clostridium botulinum bacteria. These spores then colonize the infant’s large intestine, where they produce a botulinum neurotoxin. This neurotoxin can cause damage to various motor neurons in the body, which can lead to paralysis and, in some cases, death. What are the symptoms of infant botulism? According to the CDC, symptoms of infant botulism include: Constipation Poor feeding Ptosis (drooping eyelid) Sluggish pupils Flattened facial expression Diminished suck and gag reflexes Weak