The bacteria that caused a massive infant formula shortage in 2022 may soon be added to a federal watch list of diseases, according to a May 9 report from NBC News affiliate WSMV.
Cronobacter bacteria, according to William Schaffner, MD, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told the news outlet that while it is rare for it to cause illness, contamination like what happened last summer can lead to life-threatening conditions.
Now, he said the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists is pushing for the bacteria to be added to a watch list to enhance monitoring and public health response. If the council votes to add it, the decision will move forward to the CDC for final approval.
Dr. Schaffner told WSMV that the council wants to "have it on the national reportable list, so that wherever it occurs in the country, it’s immediately reportable to the CDC." If it is added, then it will allow investigations to be done to determine "whether there is indeed contaminated infant formula, and then obviously, things done to make sure that no one else gets these infections."