April 13 (Reuters) - South Africa's health regulator

said on Saturday it is recalling batches of Johnson & Johnson's ( JNJ )

children's cough syrup after detection of high levels of

diethylene glycol.

The affected batches were sold in South Africa, Eswatini,

Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria, the statement added.

The recall follows a report by the regulator's Nigerian

counterpart on Wednesday, which first detected the toxin in a

batch of Benylin Paediatric Syrup.

Kenya and Nigeria have already issued recalls for the same

syrup, which is used in the treatment of hay fever and other

allergic conditions affecting the upper respiratory tract.

Kenvue ( KVUE ), which now owns the Benylin brand after a

spin-off from J&J last year, did not immediately respond to a

Reuters request for comment.

High levels of diethylene glycol in cough syrup has been

linked to the deaths of dozens of children in Gambia, Uzbekistan

and Cameroon since 2022 in one of the world's worst waves of

poisoning from oral medication.