Aconite poisoning has sickened 12 people who ate at Delight Restaurant & BBQ located at 1250 Castlemore Avenue, Unit 4 in the city of Markham, Ontario, which is near Toronto, according to officials at York Region Public Health. Mr. Right Keampferia Galanga Powder that was implicated in these illnesses has tested positive for aconite toxin. People got sick after eating there on Sunday, August 28, 2022.
Other packages of that brand of Galanga Powder with the code AT119 tested negative for the toxin. However, public health officials recommend that people and businesses throw away all of this product, regardless of the packaging code, because officials do not know if there was cross-contamination between the contaminated product and other products. The distributor has voluntarily recalled all of this spice product.
People who went to the hospital with symptoms of nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps, headache, irregular or rapid heartbeat, numbness or tingling of the tongue or limbs, and vomiting are improving. Symptom onset was rapid, which is typical with this toxin. Only one person remains hospitalized as of September 1, 2022.
Health consequences of consuming even a small amount of aconite, which is a product of the Wolfsbane or Monkshood plant, can be severe, including death.
The restaurant was closed after reports of illness began to reach public health officials, inspected, then re-inspected, and was allowed to open on Wednesday, August 31, 2022. Officials say there does not appear to be a significant risk to the public.
If you consumed that product, either at home or in a restaurant, and have been ill with those symptoms, get medical help as soon as possible. There is no antidote for this toxin, but palliative care can help patients improve.
