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aconite likely poisoned a dozen people at toronto-area restaurant

the toxin, also called monkshood or wolfsbane, has been called the "queen of poisons" for its deadly properties.

by maija kappler
published sep 06, 2022
read time 3 minute read
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read time 3 minute read
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the plant that likely poisoned ontarians has a medieval connection
aconite comes from the aconitum plant, sometimes called monkshood, which is native to central and western europe. getty
health officials have identified the ingredient that likely hospitalized a dozen people who ate at a restaurant in the toronto region last month. a total of 12 diners sought medical attention after eating at delight restaurant & bbq in markham, ont. on the weekend of aug. 26 and 27. four people required intensive care, but all were projected to recover. cbc news reported that officials believe all 12 people had eaten the same chicken dish that contained a toxic plant.
“we do suspect that it was something called aconite, which is a toxin that can be found in various herbs or roots, or in particular one flower,” york region’s medical officer of health dr. barry pakes told cp24.

what is aconite?

aconite comes from the aconitum plant, sometimes called wolfsbane or monkshood, has been called the “queen of poisons” for its deadly quality. every part of the plant is dangerous to consume, but the aconite compound is especially toxic.
“the lethal dose for humans can be as little as two milligrams, or the size of a sesame seed,” dr. prateek lala, associate director of applied clinical pharmacology at the university of toronto, told ctv news.
monkshood, or aconitum napellus, is native to central and western europe. for centuries, it was used in battle as a poison added to the tips of spears and arrows, according to the national capital poison center. it was also used for execution by ancient romans. it’s still used in some traditional chinese and ayurvedic medicines, but only after being processed to remove its toxic properties.

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it was also believed to be a werewolf repellant, hence the name “wolfsbane.”

symptoms of aconite poisoning include numbness, burning

the symptoms of aconite poisoning generally occur fairly quickly: within the first 30 to 60 minutes. the initial signs are usually gastrointestinal, according to the american association for clinical chemistry: there’s a burning feeling in the stomach, followed by tingling and numbness in the mouth. that’s often followed by nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and general stomach pain.
later symptoms are cardiac and neurologic. numbness in the mouth will spread to the face, and then the limbs. muscles will weaken, and the heart rate will often speed up or slow down. eventually, blood pressure will get severely low. late-stage symptoms include coma and respiratory paralysis, which can lead to death.
at a press conference, pakes explained that it’s likely the restaurant used powdered spices that had been “accidentally contaminated” with the toxic substance. health officials are working on tracing the contaminated batch of spices to make sure they haven’t been distributed elsewhere.
“it seems like this is a fairly small batch kind of situation, or a distributor or a product that is fairly niche,” pakes told cbc news. “the main focus of our work is to figure out where it might have gone, and to make sure that we get all of that product off the shelf.”
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days later, york public health issued a release warning consumers to immediately throw out two powdered products produced by the brand mr. right: their keampferia galanga powder (product code: at119 or at154) , and the radix aconiti kusnezoffii powder (product code at154). these products have also been recalled by the distributor.

aconite poisoning is rare in canada

in 2010, a british woman was found guilty of murder after poisoning her ex-boyfriend’s food with wolfsbane, but most cases of aconite poisoning have been accidental.
there have only been a few cases of aconite poisoning in canada over the last few decades, cbc news points out. in 2004, the 25-year-old canadian actor andre noble died in his native newfoundland after likely ingesting monkshood sap. and two people in b.c. were hospitalized earlier this year after consuming powdered ginger that was also accidentally poisoned with aconite.
maija kappler is a reporter and editor at healthing. you can reach her at mkappler@postmedia.com
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