Miami - Three people who underwent cosmetic treatment in Florida suffer from botulism, but authorities were unable to determine whether their hospitalisation was related to injections of an anti-wrinkle drug, health officials said on Wednesday.
"Tests conducted at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta (Georgia) have detected the botulism toxin Type A in the blood from three individuals," the Florida health department said in a statement.
Specimens were unavailable for testing on a fourth individual, the statement read. Botulism is a rare and potentially fatal paralytic illness.
The toxin is found in anti-wrinkle drugs.
"It is not possible to determine from the tests conducted by the CDC if the botulism toxin detected in these patients was derived from a commercial preparation or another source," the state health department said.
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Two couples were hospitalised last month after being injected with a cosmetic drug in a clinic in Fort Lauderdale, north Miami. It is unknown which substance they used.
A criminal investigation has been opened to determine if two Arizona companies supplied the toxin, according to local news reports.
The popular cosmetic drug Botox, which removes wrinkles by paralysing facial muscles with an injection, is the only drug with botulism toxin that has been authorised for use on people.
"The typical botulism toxin doses contained in approved commercial preparations, appropriately administered, used for cosmetic and therapeutic administration has not been associated with illnesses of the severity demonstrated by these individuals," the health department said. - Sapa-AFP
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