A Sydney woman is in intensive care and a further two people are being treated in hospital with suspected cases of botulism linked to unregulated home anti-wrinkle injections.
The case prompted New South Wales Health to issue an alert urging the community to only receive cosmetic anti-wrinkle injections from authorised practitioners or risk “serious harm and … death”.
The 51-year-old woman received the unregulated anti-wrinkle injection at a home in Guildford on 11 January, NSW police alleged.
She was admitted to Auburn hospital on Friday before being transferred to Westmead hospital, where she remained in a stable condition on Saturday morning receiving intensive care.
A spokesperson for NSW police, which was working with the Health Care Complaints Commission and NSW Health on the incident, said inquiries continued into the case.
“Police are working with medical authorities after a complaint was made to Cumberland police area command concerning a cosmetic procedure reportedly conducted at a home in Guildford,” police said.
Botulism is caused when a toxin attacks the body’s nerves and causes muscle weakness in the face, mouth and throat.
Symptoms can appear for up to two weeks after injections, NSW Health advised, and include worsening weakness, difficulty swallowing, drooping eyelids, blurred vision and trouble breathing.
Dr Jeremy McAnulty, the executive director of health protection at NSW Health, said the case was a grim reminder of the potential side effects of unregulated cosmetic injections.
“Cosmetic injections, if used incorrectly, could result in serious harm and even death in the most serious of cases,” he said.
“Botulism, although rare, can be fatal, which is why it is so important that anyone receiving cosmetic injections does so under the supervision of an appropriately registered health practitioner.
“In this particular case, investigations are continuing, but we want people to be aware of the symptoms of botulism as others could have been exposed.”
Market researchers Grand View Research valued the Australian facial injectables industry at $4.3bn in 2021, with a projected growth of more than 25% every year until 2030.
Injections require a valid prescription from an authorised prescriber such as a doctor, but those administering the treatment do not need to complete specific cosmetic injectables training beyond their generalised health qualification. This can include doctors, dentists and nurse practitioners.
