AUTHOR=Farmer John J. 

TITLE=My 40-Year History with Cronobacter/Enterobacter sakazakii – Lessons Learned, Myths Debunked, and Recommendations

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pediatrics

VOLUME=3

YEAR=2015

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2015.00084

DOI=10.3389/fped.2015.00084

ISSN=2296-2360

ABSTRACT=<p>Much has been learned about organism in the <italic>Cronobacter/Enterobacter sakazakii</italic> complex since I first named and described <italic>Enterobacter sakazakii</italic> in 1980. However, there are still wide knowledge gaps. One of the most serious is that are still many uncertainties associated with assessing the public health risk posed by these bacteria, particularly in neonatal meningitis. Over the last few decades, <italic>Cronobacter</italic> contamination of commercial powdered infant formula products has apparently been reduced, but it is still an ongoing problem. The powdered infant formula industry still cannot produce powdered formula that is free of bacterial contamination with <italic>Cronobacter</italic>, other <italic>Enterobacteriaceae</italic>, other pathogenic bacteria, and other microorganisms. Until this happens, infants and other will be at risk of becoming infected when they ingest contaminated formula.</p>