Fake Botox Linked to Botulism-Like Illness

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is looking into an outbreak of symptoms resembling botulism, a rare but serious illness, due to fake botox injections.

Illinois and Tennesee’s state health departments have acknowledged cases of botulism-like symptoms in their states. The CDC and the FDA are conducting a multistate investigation to learn more about the outbreak.

Botox is made from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, the identical toxin that causes botulism — a potentially fatal food poisoning illness. The CDC says botulism is an illness caused by a toxin that attacks the body’s nerves and causes difficulty breathing, muscle paralysis, and even death.