A suspected poisoning at a restaurant in Markham, Ontario caused serious illness in at least 12 people, with four of those needing intensive care in a hospital caused by a substance sometimes used in traditional Chinese medicine, according to health experts.
Dr. Barry Pakes, medical officer of health for York Region, reportedly told CBC Toronto on Tuesday that all of the patients who fell ill after eating at Delight Restaurant & BBQ on the weekend are “doing well” and are expected to recover, CBC News said.
Pakes said that no firm conclusions could be drawn about the exact cause of sickness
York Region Public Health’s investigation is ongoing.
But according to their symptoms, there could be a possibility that they ingested aconite, sometimes called wolf’s bane or the queen of poisons, which is derived from a particular genus of plants.
Nerves that control muscles in the body are affected by the substance leading to numbness in the face and extremities, severe gastrointestinal distress, in some cases, an irregular heartbeat.
If ingested in large enough quantities, aconite can induce fatal arrhythmia of the heart.
#Poisoning; #SuspectedPoisoing; #MarkamEatery. #Aconite
