A
Palm Beach, Fla., couple has been hospitalized with symptoms
of botulism following cosmetic treatment at a Fort Lauderdale
clinic with a drug that was supposed to have been Botox, the
Sun-Sentinel newspaper reported Monday.
The unidentified couple in their 50s were both on life support
in critical condition over the weekend, the newspaper said.
As of Monday, they were being treated at an unidentified New
Jersey hospital following their transfer from a hospital in
Palm Beach.
The couple had been given the cosmetic treatment at the Advanced
Integrated Medical Center on Nov. 24, and the next day felt
weak and had trouble breathing. The U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (news - web sites) is investigating
the incident, which the couple's doctor suspected may have
been caused by a contaminated vial of Botox or some other
drug used in their treatment, the newspaper said.
Allergan, Inc., which produces Botox, told the newspaper it
is working with authorities in the investigation. Botox is
derived from the same bacterium that causes botulism. Symptoms
of the deadly disease include muscle weakness and trouble
breathing and speaking.
