The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) warned on Tuesday 14 March of cases of botulism linked to intragastric injections of botulinum toxin.
Sixty-seven cases of this severe neuropathy, caused by the toxin secreted by Clostridium botulinum, were reported between the end of February and 10 March in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Turkey.
The cases appear to be related to obesity procedures performed between 22 February and 1 March 2023. Of the sixty-three cases on which the ECDC has information, sixty are linked to a private clinic in Istanbul and three to a private clinic in Izmir, Turkey.
Some patients have been admitted to an intensive care unit and are undergoing botulinum toxin treatment.
At this stage, the ECDC cannot determine whether this event is related to a therapeutic or procedural problem in the hospitals concerned, or whether the product used is the cause of illness. Investigations are underway.
The ECDC encourages patients who had such treatment in Turkey on these dates to contact the health services.
ECDC encourages EU citizens to avoid such treatment in Turkey, due to the high risk of botulism associated with it. (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)