CDC Ends ByHeart Formula Botulism Outbreak

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that a rare outbreak of infant botulism linked to ByHeart baby formula has ended, with no new cases reported since mid-December. The incident, which began in 2023, affected 48 infants across the nation who consumed the New York-based company's organic, whole-milk powdered formula.

Health officials revised the case count downward after determining that three infants initially suspected of having botulism were diagnosed with unrelated illnesses. All confirmed cases involved hospitalization, but no deaths occurred. The botulism strain, caused by Clostridium botulinum bacteria, poses severe risks to children under 1 year old, including paralysis and potentially fatal nervous system damage. Infants contract the illness when they ingest bacterial spores that germinate in their intestines and release a toxin.

The outbreak's scope emerged in August, when California's Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention program noted a sharp increase in reports among babies fed ByHeart formula. ByHeart, which held about 1 percent of the U.S. infant formula market and sold roughly 200,000 cans monthly, responded in early November...