An actress died during a bizarre spiritual cleansing ritual at a retreat in Mexico, when she took the venom of an Amazonian frog and suffered severe vomiting while being denied medical treatment, report said.
Marcela Alcázar Rodríguez, 33, died on Dec. 1 after ingesting Kambo — a gluey, poisonous substance produced on the skin of the Amazon’s giant monkey frog — during a toxin cleansing ritual in Durango.
Though Rodríguez suffered a sever reaction to the poison, she initially was denied medical attention by the retreat before finally being taken to a Red Cross hospital, where she died, witnesses said, according to local reports.
The Attorney General’s Office of the State of Durango has launched an investigation into the actress’ death as authorities searched for the shaman who ran the retreat.
Rodríguez’s death was confirmed by the Mexican production company Mapache Films this week.
“With deep regret, we mourn the death of our beloved colleague and friend, Marcela Alcázar Rodríguez,” the production company wrote in Spanish.
“Her passing left an immense emptiness in our hearts and in our professional community.
“Her dedication, joy and commitment left a profound mark on all of us who had the privilege of working beside her.”
Kambo is a traditional medicine used by indigenous tribes of South America. It’s poison is harvested by locals who capture frogs and place them bound near a fire, causing the stressed-out frogs to secrete the kambo from their skin.
A patient’s skin is gently burned and the toxin then applied to the wound, which causes immediate and severe short-term symptoms including projectile vomiting, diarrhea, increased heart rate and a swollen face.
Supporters claim that it can cure everything from anxiety to migraines if you’re willing to endure hours of pain — although its use also carries major risks including hospitalization and, in some cases, death.
