There are 67 cases of botulism associated with aesthetic operations in Turkey

• Health alert What is botulism?

  These are your symptoms

• Health Spain monitors the botulism alert at the European level after 14 cases detected in patients who traveled to Turkey to undergo an operation to lose weight

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has reported on Tuesday

in patients who underwent botulinum toxin injections in Turkey as a weight loss treatment.

These new patients, all of Turkish origin, join the 14 cases already reported so far in European citizens who traveled to the Ottoman country (12 in Germany, one in Austria and the other in Switzerland).

In total, there are 67 affected patients to date.

According to an ECDC statement, the cases were detected between the end of February and March 10, 2023 and are all associated with intragastric injection of botulinum toxin.

In 60 of the cases, the intervention was carried out in a

, while another three are linked to an intervention in the town of Izmir.

No information is available for the remaining four cases.

The symptoms of botulism detected in those affected vary significantly, going from severe cases to cases of moderate to severe severity.

Among the patients who have required hospitalization, several have required admission to intensive care units and receive antitoxin treatment.

Due to the detection of these cases, the European Center for Disease Control

to consult their doctor, especially if experience symptoms such as weakness, shortness of breath, or trouble swallowing.

"

advises EU citizens to seek intragastric botulinum toxin treatments for obesity in Turkey as they are associated with a significant risk of developing botulism," the ECDC said in a statement.

At this time, he continues, it is not clear if what happened is an event related to the procedure carried out in the hospitals involved or is due to a problem with the product administered.

Investigations carried out by the Turkish authorities have indicated that licensed products were administered in the treatments, but that these products are not approved for the treatment of obesity by intragastric injection.

For this reason, the authorities have suspended activity in the departments of the hospitals involved and investigations have been launched to clarify what happened.

Botulism is a rare but serious disorder that is caused by toxins produced by

These toxins produce weakness or paralysis in the nerves.

bacteria

are found in soil and untreated water all over the world.

They can reach the human organism in different ways.

The most frequent types of botulism are

, which is produced by the consumption of food contaminated with the toxin;

can also occur

, if the bacteria enter the body through a body and produce the toxin.

There is also the so-called

, which occurs when the spores of the bacteria multiply in the intestine of the affected baby.

Botulism associated with an incorrect injection of botulinum toxin for cosmetic or medical reasons is less frequent.

This type is called

as soon as possible

.

In many cases, activated charcoal is also used to remove any toxins that have not yet been absorbed.

Close monitoring of vital signs is necessary, as the infection can be very serious and require admission to an intensive care unit.

The

has authorized the marketing in Spain of 16 presentations of nine drugs that contain botulinum toxin in their composition.

Each product is authorized for a series of specific indications, the presentations are not interchangeable.

The best-known licensed use of botulinum toxin is to temporarily improve facial lines such as those between the eyebrows, crow's feet, or lines around the mouth, in adults younger than 65 years of age, "when the intensity of these lines has an important psychological impact for the patient", indicates the data sheet.

However, beyond aesthetic medicine, some presentations of botulinum toxin are also indicated in disorders such as focal spasticity secondary to stroke, cervical dystonia (spasmodic torticollis), blepharospasm, or for the relief of symptoms in adults who meet the criteria for chronic migraine, among others.

This treatment is also indicated in cases of idiopathic overactive bladder, urinary incontinence or hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating).

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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