Patients have been warned not to fly to Turkey to receive botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) injections in their stomach for weight loss following almost 70 reported botulism cases.
According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), 67 patients have been diagnosed with the life-threatening condition after receiving BoNT injections to relax the stomach wall and reduce appetite, with some requiring admittance into Intensive Care Units (ICU).
Turkish investigations have found that a legitimate product was used during these procedures, but it was not licensed for this procedure. The involved facilities have since been shut down.
The ECDC is now advising patients not to seek this treatment in Turkey, as it says the procedure carries a “significant risk of developing botulism.”
