Hello, ------------------------------------------------ OTTAWA WOMAN NEAR DEATH AFTER DRINKING LIZARD TEA February 24, 2000 The Ottawa Citizen A1 / Front Don Campbell Health Canada is, according to this story, warning people not to drink a Chinese herbal tea made with lizard parts after a 54-year-old Ottawa woman who drank some was admitted to hospital yesterday clinging to life. The unidentified woman and her 26-year-old son arrived in a taxi at the Civic site of Ottawa Hospital shortly before 7 a.m. with obvious signs of food poisoning. The two could only surmise that it must have been due to herbal tea they had sipped just minutes before becoming ill. Within moments of their arrival, hospital officials had notified Ottawa-Carleton police, who in turn called on the assistance of the region's health unit and Health Canada to determine the origin of the illness. While it was still unclear exactly what caused the two to become ill, federal officials issued a public warning last night urging people not to drink Gecko Lizard Herbal Tea Mix. The tea mix, promoted as an energizer, comes in a clear plastic box and is packaged by South Project Chinese Herbs Factory in Shenzhen, Kwang Tung, China. Health Canada said the mix includes various plants and animal pieces, including dried lizard and frog parts. Health Canada is expecting results of lab tests on the tea mix today before deciding whether to take more action. They hope the testing will reveal whether the tea mix was altered or contaminated, whether it reacts with medications or if there is another cause for the illness. ----------------------------------------------------------- 2000-22 March 1, 2000 Warning Gecko Lizard Herbal Tea Mix found clear of harmful substances OTTAWA - Health Canada�s testing of Gecko Lizard Herbal Tea Mix did not show the presence of toxins that could have caused the severe illness of two members of an Ottawa family last week. On February 23, Health Canada warned the public not to consume Gecko Lizard Herbal Tea Mix, commonly used and promoted as an "energizer." At the time, the Department suspected that the product was the most likely cause of severe injury that led to the hospitalization of the two individuals in Ottawa. Since the warning was issued, Health Canada has completed the testing of samples of the product to determine whether any component, contaminant or adulterant in the tea could have caused the health problems. At this time, no evidence indicates that any component of the tea caused such illness, and the Department is advising the distributors of the product not to withhold sales any longer. Health Canada wants to thank the importers, distributors and retailers involved in this incident for their swift cooperation in voluntarily withholding sales until analytical testing revealed that the product was not the probable cause of the injuries suffered. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/archives/warnings/2000/2000_22e.htm ----------------------------------------------------------- -- Best regards, Tony mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ########################################################################### THE GLOBAL GECKO ASSOCIATION LISTSERV WebSite: www.gekkota.com Archive: [EMAIL PROTECTED]/ The GGA takes no responsibility for the contents of these postings. ###########################################################################
