(Santa Ana, CA) – The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH) today warned the public against consuming deer-antler tea due to botulism risk. One confirmed case and one suspect case are both adult residents of Orange County, California and the LADPH’s preliminary investigation suggests these cases may be associated with the consumption of a deer-antler tea product acquired during the month of March.
 
Pending further investigation, LADPH and the OC Health Care Agency (HCA) recommend that all persons who purchased or may have been given product similar to this (i.e., deer-antler tea provided in a sealed pouch) during the month of March immediately dispose of it.
 
Botulism is a rare but serious illness caused by a nerve toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium. Classic symptoms of botulism include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing and weakness. These are all symptoms of muscle paralysis caused by the bacterial toxin. If untreated, these symptoms may progress to cause paralysis of the respiratory muscles, arms, legs, and trunk. In foodborne botulism, symptoms generally begin 18 to 36 hours after eating a contaminated food, but they can occur as early as 6 hours or as late as 10 days. The respiratory failure and paralysis that occur with severe botulism may require a patient to be on a breathing machine (ventilator) for weeks or months, plus intensive medical and nursing care. The paralysis slowly improves.
 
HCA recommends that individuals experiencing any of these symptoms after consuming this product seek immediate medical care.

For more information on botulism visit: https://www.cdc.gov/botulism/index.html  
Product pictures: https://t.co/e2TkWTWQpR

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