FLORIDA Couple treated for botulism after getting Botox injections

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- A couple who underwent Botox injections last week were hospitalized with botulism poisoning, and health officials were attempting to determine whether the injections were to blame.
The man and woman, both in their 50s, were in critical condition Sunday at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center and were breathing through ventilators, said Dr. Charles Schallop, a neurologist treating them. Hospital officials did not immediately return a call Monday to update their condition.
Botulism is a rare and potentially fatal paralytic illness that affects muscles, eyes, limbs and respiratory tract. Botox is a derivative of the botulism toxin that is used as a muscle relaxant and an anti-wrinkle drug.
But officials at Allergan Inc., the company that makes Botox, stress Botox's safety record, dating to the late 1970s, when clinical trials of the drug began. Just seven people in the 1990s had serious side effects, according to Allergan.
Bonnie Hebert, a spokeswoman for the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the agency is investigating the cause of the illnesses in the two states, along with the Food and Drug Administration and the state health departments.