TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control (CDC, 疾管署), the island nation's primary public health authority, announced Tuesday (April 15) the first suspected case of botulism poisoning in 2025 connected to cosmetic procedures. Health officials issued a stark warning about the island's limited access to life-saving treatments, revealing that Taiwan currently lacks proper licensing for botulinum antitoxin. This critical medication remains both scarce and costly, with only four doses currently available nationwide and plans to acquire just 12 additional doses before year's end.
The case involves a woman in her 40s from northern Taiwan who reportedly bought botulinum toxin through an online vendor. According to health officials, the seller administered injections to the woman's forehead and cheeks during an in-home procedure in late March. The patient developed serious symptoms approximately three days after the treatment, including difficulty swallowing and significant muscle weakness. Her condition deteriorated rapidly, necessitating hospital admission and mechanical ventilation. Healthcare providers alerted authorities to the suspected poisoning on March 29.
Officials explained that laboratory tests on the patient's blood and stool samples came back negative for botulism toxin, though this was expected since testing took place more than seven days after the injection. Despite these negative results, medical experts classified it as a probable botulism case based on her clinical presentation and relevant epidemiological factors. After receiving the rare antitoxin treatment, the woman's condition has shown improvement, though she continues to require hospital care. Taiwanese health authorities have launched investigations targeting both illegal pharmaceutical sales and unauthorized cosmetic procedures to prevent future cases.
Health officials provided context about botulism transmission, noting the disease can occur through multiple pathways, including contaminated food, infant intestinal infections, infected wounds, and increasingly, through cosmetic injection procedures. The potentially fatal illness can develop anywhere from several hours to several weeks after exposure, with severe cases progressing to respiratory failure or death if left untreated. Since 2019, Taiwan has documented eight suspected cases of botulism linked specifically to cosmetic treatments. Authorities strongly urged anyone experiencing symptoms to seek emergency medical care immediately, while warning the public against accepting injections from unqualified providers and stressing the critical importance of verifying credentials before undergoing any cosmetic procedure. ★