Learnings from Separate <i>Aconitum</i> Poisonings in British Columbia and Ontario, Canada in 2022

Learnings from Separate <i>Aconitum</i> Poisonings in British Columbia and Ontario, Canada in 2022

Background: Three aconitine poisoning events occurred in two Canadian provinces in 2022: one in British Columbia (BC) and two in Ontario (ON). Aconitine is a potent alkaloid found in several species of the plant <i>Aconitum</i>, containing cardiotoxins and neurotoxins. It is used in trad...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lorraine McIntyre, Stefanie Georgopoulos, Dorianna Simone, Emily Newhouse, JoAnne Fernandes, David A. McVea, Arnold Fok, Ania-Maria McIntyre, Bryn Shurmer, Marie-Claude Gagnon, Michael Chan, Marina Chiaravalloti, Nikita Saha Turna, Debra Kent, Dennis Leong, Katherine Paphitis, Christina Lee, the Outbreak Investigation Teams
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Toxins
Subjects:
aconitine
poisoning
monkshood
outbreak
toxin
mislabeling
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/17/3/125
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background: Three aconitine poisoning events occurred in two Canadian provinces in 2022: one in British Columbia (BC) and two in Ontario (ON). Aconitine is a potent alkaloid found in several species of the plant <i>Aconitum</i>, containing cardiotoxins and neurotoxins. It is used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for pain management, and in powdered form, <i>Aconitum</i> is similar in appearance to sand ginger (<i>Kaempferia galanga</i>), which can lead to poisonings from misidentification and mislabeling. Methods: Aconitine poisoning is rare in Canada; here, we compare communications, collaborations, laboratory testing options and actions during investigations. Results: Fourteen cases occurred from the consumption of sand ginger: in BC (<i>n</i> = 2), purchased at an Asian health food store; in ON (<i>n</i> = 11), <i>Kaempferia galanga</i> powder (KGP) spices were used to prepare meals at a restaurant, and in one ON case, KGP was purchased. Traceback found product imported from China contained aconitine levels ranging from 1304 to 5500 ppm. Later investigations revealed mislabeling of <i>Aconitum</i> as KGP from the same imported lot (January 2020). Plant DNA testing found no KGP in any spice packets, including lots not linked to illness, suggestive of adulteration. Conclusion: Method development for aconitine in BC led to an improved response time for testing in ON. BC and ON updated outbreak response protocols and communications.
ISSN:2072-6651

Similar Items