State health officials say they're investigating the fourth case of wound botulism so far this year in a 26-year-old woman from Bernalillo County.
According to the New Mexico Department of Health, the unidentified patient is an injection drug user and the suspected source of infection is a soiled skin injection site, contaminated injection devices or contaminated heroin.
The woman currently is hospitalized.
Two of the previous three cases in were residents of Rio Arriba County and one was a resident of Santa Fe County.
Botulism is a rare but potentially deadly illness caused by a nerve toxin that induces paralysis.
Wound botulism is caused by the toxin produced from a wound infected with bacteria called Clostridium botulinum.
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