April 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug

Administration on Tuesday alerted health care professionals and

consumers that unsafe counterfeit versions of AbbVie's ( ABBV )

Botox were given to consumers for cosmetic purposes in multiple

states.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

and the FDA are investigating reports of harmful reactions among

people who received injections of counterfeit Botox.

As of April 12, a total of 19 people from nine states had

reported harmful reactions after receiving Botox injections from

unlicensed or untrained individuals, or in non-healthcare

settings, such as homes and spas, according to the CDC.

States reporting these reactions include Colorado, Florida,

Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee,

and Washington.

The FDA's investigation is ongoing, and the agency is

currently working with the manufacturer of Botox, AbbVie ( ABBV ), to

identify and remove suspected counterfeit Botox products found

in the United States.

AbbVie ( ABBV ) did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for a

comment.