Love-potion-laced chocolates were the source of the outbreak, MACUSA health authorities declare • Mandy's Dandy Candies investigated for contaminating batches of chocolate • Health Department urges public to discard truffles from Miami shop
WIZZYWOOD, ALTA CALIFORNIA — Valentine's Day in the American Wizarding Confederation's WOMPbox capital took an unexpected turn as dozens of cases of suspected love potion poisoning caused chaos on several film sets and sent at least five individuals to local hospitals with complications from overdoses on Friday.
According to officials from MACUSA's Department of Health who arrived on scene Friday afternoon after being alerted by local Healers of an outbreak of potion-poisning symptoms, over 35 witches and wizards in southern Alta California are known to have been affected by the potion, with more cases expected to be reported as awareness spreads. "We encourage anyone who thinks that they are currently or have recently been under the influence of a love potion, or knows of someone else displaying symptoms of potion poisoning, to seek Healer attention immediately," said Healer Elspeth Vaughan, Assistant Director of Potions and Poisons Response for the Department of Health. "This love potion is generally not hazardous to health and most people will come out of it just fine aside from expected levels of embarrassment, but people with underlying health conditions may present with unusual symptoms if they've received a higher dose than normal."
Vaughan confirmed that her team had traced the outbreak to a batch of specialty truffles produced by Mandy's Dandy Candies, a high-end confectioner in Miami, which ships orders nationwide. Further investigation is underway as to how the specialty truffles, which Mandy's advertises as "For Lovers Only!", were sent out in the wrong boxes and without the usual warning labels. Caramella Dolce, the brand's spokeswitch, declined to comment on how the sweets could have been mislabeled.
MACUSA officials are encouraging anyone who bought or received truffles from Mandy's to discard all uneaten chocolate.