The CDC will start tracking cronobacter infections in 2024 following a recommendation from a national epidemiologist council, The Washington Post reported June 29.
The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists recommended the action during a June 29 conference. The group of public health epidemiologists said it worked with experts from the CDC, FDA and Association of Public Health Laboratories to make the decision. The council often makes recommendations to the CDC about which illnesses it should track, according to the report.
The decision means cronobacter will become a "nationally notifiable pathogen" alongside about 120 other illnesses monitored by the CDC and the council. Starting next year, physicians and labs must report any cronobacter cases involving infants to state officials. The reporting data will help the CDC monitor disease trends and identify ways to prevent future cronobacter infections.
The move comes more than a year after the bacteria caused a massive infant formula shortage nationwide.