Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health says a total of 41 people have consumed tainted alcohol as the death toll due to the liquor rose to 20 in the Central American tourist destination.
According to a press release on the agency’s website, 18 of the 20 victims were Costa Ricans, one was Nicaraguan and the nationality of the latest victim has not yet been released.
Fifteen were men and five were women. The Ministry of Health said 41 people have been affected but did not go into detail on any incidents that did not reult in fatalities.
On Sunday, Costa Rica issued a national alert and confiscated 30,000 bottles of liquor it said were laced with methanol, a colorless, poisonous alcohol found in antifreeze. Adding it to distilled beverages allows sellers to increase the volume of liquid and its potential potency, according to SafeProof, an organization that lobbies against counterfeit alcohol.
Costa Rica blames 19 deaths on tainted alcohol:What you need to know
Affected brands included Guaro Montano, Guaro Gran Apache, Aguardiente Estrella, Aguardiente Barón Rojo, Aguardiente Timbuka and Molotov Aguardiente.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, symptoms of methanol poisoning include drowsiness, confusion, headache, dizziness, and the inability to coordinate muscle movement, nausea, vomiting, mania, coma, seizure as well as heart and respiratory failure.
Meanwhile, the FBI is running toxicology analysis on at least two of the 10 Americans confirmed to have died in the Dominican Republic, another popular vacation destination, to see if tainted alcohol played a role.
The Hard Rock Hotel chain has also removed liquor dispensers from rooms at its properties in the Dominican Republic and Mexico.
Contributing: Vandana Ravikumar, USA TODAY
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