LOS ANGELES COUNTY : Public Warned of Infection Risk Linked to Folk Remedy
County health officials warned Monday of the possibility of contracting a potentially fatal bacterial infection from a Latino folk health remedy made up of dried, ground rattlesnake. In recent months, three people in Los Angeles County have died of a severe bacterial infection caused by a species of salmonella commonly found in reptiles, according to the Department of Health Services. Two others have been hospitalized.
In two cases, testing of rattlesnake capsules from the patients’ homes showed salmonella contamination, health officials said.
Seven other cases of that type of infection were reported this year, and health officials said they are investigating whether those patients also took the medicine.
The capsules are used by many Latinos as a remedy for a variety of chronic health problemsranging from acne and arthritis to cancer, AIDS and blood disorders.
The folk medicine is readily available in pharmacies serving the Latino community, as well as at swap meets, officials said.
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