Fake Botox has sickened patients nationwide. Here's what to know — and what to avoid

The CDC and FDA are investigating reports of patients in nearly a dozen U.S. states being injected with counterfeit Botox. (Jens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Beware, Botox users: Public health authorities are warning that counterfeit versions of the injectable are circulating — and have already made patients sick — in several U.S. states.

Nineteen people reported harmful reactions to botulinum toxin injections as of last Friday, including nine who were hospitalized, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a release. They are located in nine states: Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee and Washington.