Key points
- Cronobacter is a germ that can live in dry foods like powdered infant formula, herbal teas, and starches, and in contaminated feeding items like breast pump equipment.
- Cronobacter infections are rare but serious.
- Cronobacter infections are most common in infants less than 2 months old and often cause death in this age group.
What It Is
Cronobacter sakazakii (or "Cronobacter") and other species are germs found naturally in the environment. Cronobacter can live in dry foods, like powdered infant formula, powdered milk, herbal teas, and starches. It has also been found in contaminated feeding items like breast pump equipment.
Cronobacter infections have been reported in all age groups. Getting sick from Cronobacter does not happen often, but infections in infants can be deadly. Infants less than 2 months old are most likely to develop meningitis (an inflammation of the membranes that protect the brain and spine) if they are infected with Cronobacter bacteria. Infants born prematurely and those with weakened immune systems are also at risk for severe illness. Cronobacter infections in infants less than 12 months old are often linked to powdered infant formula. If you feed your baby powdered infant formula, you can take steps to protect your baby from sickness.
Quick facts
Cronobacter infection is rare. CDC typically receives reports of about 2 to 4 infections in infants per year, but Minnesota and Michigan were the only states that required reporting. Because most states did not require reporting, rates of Cronobacter infection in the United States are not well understood. However, a literature review from 1961 to 2018 provides evidence that Cronobacter infections are most common in infants less than 2 months old and often cause death in this age group. Also, infections among older adults may be more common, although milder, than infections among infants.
The true number of annual cases is unknown. However, invasive Cronobacter infections among infants have been added to the list of nationally notifiable conditions in 2024, requiring health providers to report diagnosed cases to state or local public health officials. This will help us learn more about the true number of cases that occur each year. Typically, CDC receives 2-4 reports of severe Cronobacter infections in infants annually from health departments and has received reports from 32 states. From January 2002 to July 2022, CDC received 76 reports of severe Cronobacter illnesses among infants. A recent report estimates that approximately 20% of infants with meningitis or bloodstream infections due to Cronobacter in the United States have died (Strysko, 2020). Worldwide, approximately 40% of infants reported to have Cronobacter meningitis or bloodstream infections have died (Strysko, 2020).