York region resident becomes ill after aconite poisoning

Another York Region resident has become severely ill after consuming a recalled product that has been contaminated with aconite, the same one that led to a mass poisoning at a Markham restaurant.

A recall had been issued for a specific spice powder product called Mr. Right brand Kaempferia Galanga Powder after public health confirmed it was the source of the poisoning at Delight Restaurant & BBQ back in August.

A total of 12 people were hospitalized, including four who were treated in intensive care within about an hour of eating the same chicken dish from the restaurant located near Markham Road and Castlemore Avenue.

The resident in this new case was hospitalized on Oct. 24 due to a suspected aconite exposure, but no further information has been released about the person’s condition.

Further investigation is underway to conclusively confirm the contaminated product consumed by the resident is the source of illness.

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READ MORE: What’s aconite? More on the toxin suspected in food poisoning at a Markham restaurant

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Aconite (aconitum napellus) is a type of poisonous herb that’s sometimes referred to as monkshood or wolfsbane. It is a bluish or purplish herb in the buttercup family of plants.

Symptoms can include “life-threatening” rhythm changes to one’s heart (faster or slower), numbness, tingling, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and/or diarrhea. In the most severe cases, there can also be fatal respiratory paralysis and heart rhythm abnormalities.

With files from Nick Westoll