Women hospitalized in several US states, CDC says [Video]

“Counterfeit or mishandled” Botox left at least 19 women across nine states with harmful reactions, prompting an investigation by U.S. health officials. 

Nine of the 19 patients were hospitalized, and four were treated with botulism antitoxin “because of concerns that the botulinum toxin could have spread beyond the injection site,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement this week.

Five people were tested for a rare type of illness called botulism, and their results were all negative, the CDC added.

What is Botox?

Botox injections are made from the same toxin that causes botulism, according to the Mayo Clinic. Foodborne botulism can come from homemade foods that have been improperly canned, preserved, or fermented. Honey can contain the bacteria that causes infant botulism, so caregivers are advised to avoid honey for children under 1.

However, the forms of purified botulinum toxin used for Botox injections meet medical control standards that have been approved by the U.S. Food …