More Illnesses Linked to Counterfeit Botulinum Toxin

In March of 2024, four women in Tennessee and three in New York City fell ill after receiving b otulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) injections in nonmedical settings, and four of the women required hospitalization — two in the intensive care unit. None of the cases required intubation, according to an announcement of an investigation into these reports in by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The report, published online July 11, 2024 in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, note that the four patients in Tennessee received counterfeit BoNT, while product information was not available for the three cases in New York City. However, one person reported paying less than US wholesale acquisition cost for the administered product, and another reported that the product had been purchased overseas, the authors of the report wrote. The development, they continued, underscores that BoNT injections should be administered only by licensed and trained providers using recommended doses of FDA-approved products. 

This report follows a CDC advisory published in April 2024 of a t least 22 people from 11 states who reported serious reactions after receiving botulinum toxin injections from unlicensed or untrained individuals or in nonhealthcare settings , such as homes and spas.

The median age of the women in the July report was 48 years and signs and symptoms included ptosis, dry mouth, dysphagia, shortness of breath, and weakness. Onset occurred between February 23 and March 7, 2024.

This investigation did not determine why these illnesses occurred after cosmetic BoNT injections; potential reasons might include use of counterfeit BoNT, which might be more potent or contain harmful additional ingredients or higher susceptibility to BoNT effects among some persons, the investigators wrote. They recommended further studies to describe the clinical spectrum of cosmetic BoNT injection effects such as severity of signs and symptoms.

For cases of suspected systemic botulism, the CDC recommends calling the  local or state health department for consultation and antitoxin release (as well as information on reporting adverse events). Alternatively, the 24/7 phone number for the CDC clinical botulism service is 770-488-7100.