22 December 2011: a one-month-old baby has died in Lebanon, Missouri, in the United States, after a bacterial infection thought to be linked to a brand of baby formula.
The baby had been fed Enfamil Newborn formula bought from Walmart. The chain has removed all packs of the formula from its shelves until it is confirmed whether the formula was contaminated. Investigators say they are also looking at other possible sources of the contamination.
A spokeswoman for the maker of Enfamil said the formula is tested thoroughly for different types of bacterial contamination, including the type that killed this baby. "We test every batch thoroughly before it leaves the factory, and we will share all our information with the authorities in looking for any cause of this contamination."
The company has reviewed its records, which showed that this batch was free of the bacteria that caused the death.
The bacteria responsible are Cronobacter sakazakii, which are found in nature in plant products such as rice, wheat, herbs and spices, but had never before been found in powdered baby formula.
Babies rarely catch this infection, but when they do, the death rate is very high, up to 80%. It causes meningitis and destroys the baby's intestines.
The batch under suspicion is ZP1K7G.
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