Overview

• The outbreak was confined to cosmetic clinics in the East of England and East Midlands and is considered separate from earlier North East cases.
• Patients have experienced slurred speech, difficulty swallowing and, in several incidents, breathing problems requiring respiratory support.
• Investigators have halted services at implicated clinics and are probing supply chains for the unlicensed botulinum toxin alternative.
• UKHSA guidance urges clinicians to watch for delayed botulism symptoms after aesthetic treatments and to provide prompt anti-toxin administration.
• MHRA reminds the public that botulinum toxin is prescription-only and encourages reporting adverse reactions through its Yellow Card scheme.