An outbreak of infant botulism, a type of severe illness caused by the botulism toxin and linked to a recalled brand of baby formula, has increased by eight cases to a total of 23 across several states, federal officials have confirmed.
Suspected or confirmed cases of infant botulism have spanned 13 states so far, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in advisories updated on Nov. 14.
Cases have been reported in Arizona, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington, the agencies said.
The botulism cases are linked to all ByHeart Whole Nutrition Infant Formula products, including unexpired lots of formula cans, according to the FDA. The products were available for sale online and in major retail stores across the United States….