Costa Rica health ministry warning after tainted booze kills 19
Health officials in Costa Rica confirmed 19 people have died from consuming methanol-laced tainted alcohol in the past two months.
The Costa Rican health ministry issued a formal alert after more than 30,000 bottles suspected of containing tainted alcohol were seized.
As investigations into the deaths continue, the ministry warned against consuming not only bootleg alcohol but also those made by established brands due to counterfeiting.
Authorities have been confiscating products from Aguardiente Barón Rojo, Guaro Montano, Aguardiente Estrella, Guaro Gran Apache, Aguardiente Timbuka, and Molotov Aguardiente, according to the Tico Times.
It advises people not to drink these brands for the time being.
The ministry said five women and 14 men died since early June, ranging in age from 32 to 72.
It includes seven deaths in tourist hotspot San José.
Signs of methanol poisoning include dizziness, headaches, and vomiting,
"Coma, convulsions, and death from respiratory arrest may ensue," notes the World Health Organization.
Tainted alcohol is still in the frame as a possible cause of deaths of Americans in the Dominican Republic in recent months.
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