The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a warning after a number of individuals presented with botulism symptoms following treatment with botulinum toxin products.
The agency said ‘a small number of people’ in the Leeds area had reported symptoms including severe drooping of the upper eyelids, double vision, difficulty swallowing, slurred speech and lethargy.
The warning follows a series of botulism cases recorded in the North East, East Midlands, East of England and North West last summer, during which the UKHSA identified at least 38 cases of botulism poisoning linked to suspected unlicensed products.
According to BBC News, it has not yet been confirmed which products were used, where the treatments were administered or how many recent cases have been identified.
Ashton Collins, director of independent accreditation body Save Face, commented, “Many people do not realise that botulinum toxin is a prescription-only medicine. Before treatment, patients must undergo a face-to-face consultation with a licensed prescriber. In the UK, this must be a doctor, dentist, nurse prescriber or prescribing pharmacist. That consultation is essential to ensure the product being used is legitimate and that the patient is suitable for treatment.”