Copyright NBC10 Boston
Rhode Island health officials issued an advisory Wednesday as a baby formula recall linked to an infant botulism outbreak continues to expand. At least 15 babies in 12 states -- including Rhode Island -- have been sickened in the outbreak tied to ByHeart formula. state and federal health officials said. No deaths have been reported in the outbreak, which began in August. ByHeart officials said parents and caregivers who have the formula in their homes "should immediately discontinue use and dispose of the product." The company said it recalled their products "in close collaboration" with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The outbreak has sickened babies age 2 weeks to 5 months since it started. The infants were hospitalized after consuming ByHeart powdered formula, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Rhode Island Department of Health issued an update Wednesday morning advising consumers of the expanded outbreak. They had announced Sunday that a Rhode Island case of infant botulism had been identified and that two lots of the product had been recalled. The child in Rhode Island was hospitalized after presenting with symptoms on Oct. 24, they said. The child has since been discharged and is recovering. The infant botulism case was confirmed on Nov. 7. State health officials said the child had consumed ByHeart Whole Nutrition Formula, a milk-based powder formula they purchased online. In Wednesday's advisory, Rhode Island health officials warned parents to stop using any ByHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula immediately and to wash items and surfaces that might have touched the formula with hot soapy water or a dishwasher. They said parents should seek immediate medical care if their infant consumed ByHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula and have any of the following symptoms: Poor feeding Loss of head control Difficulty swallowing Decreased facial expression They said symptoms of infant botulism can take several weeks to develop, so parents should remain vigilant if they used ByHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula. State health officials also urged Rhode Island businesses not to sell or use recalled ByHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula and to wash and sanitize any surfaces that might have touched the recalled formula. They also said clinicians should immediatley report any suspected cases of infant botulism to the Rhode Island Department of Health and begin treatment as soon as possible. Infant botulism typically affects fewer than 200 babies in the U.S. each year. It is caused by a type of bacteria that produces a toxin in the large intestine. The bacterium is spread through hardy spores present in the environment that can cause serious illness, including paralysis. Infants are particularly vulnerable to infection because their gut microbiomes are not developed enough to prevent the spores from germinating and producing the toxin. They can be sickened after exposure to the spores in dust, dirt or water or by eating contaminated honey. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
