MCALLEN, Texas (AP) — State health officials are warning of at least 18 cases of mercury poisoning in South Texas that could be linked to a face cream sold in Mexico, but not approved for use in the United States.
The Texas Department of State Health Services announced Thursday that it had tested 16 samples of Crema Aguamary (ah-gwah-MAH'-ree) products obtained from individuals in Texas and all had elevated mercury levels — in some cases hundreds of thousands of times higher than permitted in the U.S.
An agency spokesman says cases were first reported by health officials in Hidalgo County. The agency has shared information with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but hasn't had contact with the Mexican manufacturer.
Two of the Texas cases involve infants whose mothers used the products during pregnancy.
