Per CDC, 843 domestically acquired cyclosporiasis cases have been confirmed in 31 states, plus another 1,500 pending analysis. Michigan alone has reported more than 2,600 cases and is looking at lettuce as a potential vehicle of illness.
Cyclosporiasis is surging across the U.S., with CDC and state public health officials reporting a growing number of cases. Michigan alone has reported more than 1,200 Cyclospora infections since June, resulting in at least 44 hospitalizations.
Four infants in three states have been hospitalized with botulism after consuming Nara Organics Whole Milk Organic Powdered Infant Formula. California public health officials have detected Clostridium botulinum in an open can of Nara Organics formula collected from the home of an outbreak patient.
The Danish Annual Report on Zoonoses summarizes trends in foodborne disease, zoonotic pathogens, and surveillance activities across humans, animals, food, and the environment.
At least 106 people have been infected by the outbreak strain in 13 European countries. Young people are disproportionately affected. Some sickened children reported eating the noodles and seasoning dry, without adding boiling water as instructed on the package.
Traceability investigations identified a common seed supplier, with implicated alfalfa seeds imported from India and distributed throughout Europe. Available evidence suggested the seeds were likely contaminated before entering the EU.
ByHeart-commissioned research shows the currently accepted “gold standard” for Clostridium botulinum detection in powdered formula, SRC enumeration, may fail to catch contamination. It is used by many formula brands, including Nara Organics, another company linked to an infant botulism outbreak. Following this finding, third-party IEH Labs developed a novel detection method.
For a time, ByHeart Nutrition and Nara Organics both used Organic West milk dried by Dairy Farmers of America in their infant formula products (confirmed by Food Fix). Both brands have been implicated in botulism outbreaks that occurred within months of each other.
Between 2015 and 2024, the German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) and the Robert Koch Institute investigated 3,021 foodborne illness outbreaks.
New ByHeart-commissioned research suggests that sulfite-reducing clostridia (SRC) enumeration, the “gold-standard” test for C. botulinum in powdered infant formula, which was used by Nara Organics prior to the ongoing outbreak, is insufficient. Experts who spoke to Food Safety Magazine agree C. botulinum should be considered as a foreseeable hazard requiring specific preventive controls.
