San Francisco woman sickened by herbalist's toxic tea dies

A San Francisco woman who fell critically ill after drinking tea from a Chinatown herbalist has died.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health says the tea leaves bought at Sun Wing Wo Trading Co. contained the plant-based toxin Aconite.

The woman in her 50s became sick within an hour of drinking the tea in February. She grew weak, then had life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms that required resuscitation and intensive care.

She died in the hospital Saturday.

A man in his 30s had identical symptoms after drinking tea from the same herbalist. He recovered and was released from the hospital March 12.

Their names weren't released.

Aconite, also known as monkshood, helmet flower and wolfsbane, is used in Asian herbal medicines. It must be processed properly to be safe.