title: Update: mercury poisoning associated with beauty cream--Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas, 1996.
abstract: During September 1995-May 1996, the Texas Department of Health (TDH), the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDH), and the San Diego County (California) Health Department investigated three cases of mercury poisoning associated with the use of a mercury-containing beauty cream produced in Mexico. The ongoing investigation has found this product in shops and flea markets in the United States located near the U.S.-Mexico border, and a U.S. distributor has been identified in Los Angeles. The cream, marketed as "Crema de Belleza--Manning" for skin cleansing and prevention of acne, listed "calomel" (mercurous chloride [Hg2Cl2]) as an ingredient and contained 6% to 10% mercury by weight. This report presents findings of a continuing investigation by these health departments, the Arizona Dept of Health Services (ADHS), California State Department of Health Services (CSDHS), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and CDC.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D003358:Cosmetics / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008627:Mercuric Chloride / Q000032:analysis; D008630:Mercury Poisoning / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008800:Mexico; D009516:New Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D003358:Cosmetics; D008627:Mercuric Chloride