Infant botulism in 10 US states linked to formula being recalled

Federal and state health authorities are investigating 13 cases in 10 states of infant botulism linked to recalled infant formula, authorities announced Saturday.

ByHeart Inc. has agreed to begin recalling two lots of the company’s Whole Nutrition infant formula, the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement.

The 13 infants were hospitalized after consuming infant formula from two batches: 206VABP/251261P2 and 206VABP/251131P2.

The cases occurred in Arizona, California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington.

No deaths have been reported. The FDA said it was investigating how the contamination occurred and whether it affected other products.

Available online and at major retailers, the product accounted for about 1 percent of national formula sales, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

People who purchased the recalled formula should record the lot number if possible before throwing it away or returning it to where it was purchased, the CDC said in a statement.

They should use a dishwasher or hot, soapy water to clean items and surfaces that have touched the formula. And they should seek immediate medical attention if an infant consumed a recalled formula and subsequently had poor feeding, loss of head control, difficulty swallowing or decreased facial expression.

Infant botulism is caused by bacteria that produces toxins in the large intestine.

Symptoms can take weeks to develop, so parents should remain vigilant, the CDC said.

A ByHeart spokesperson did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Saturday.