The Canadian Ministry of Health warns people about fake rapid test kits after many of them were sold in Ontario.

In an advisory report on Friday, the federal health agency said the counterfeit products resemble BTNX Inc.'s COVID-19 kits consisting of 25 colorful packs with letters.

The Canadian Ministry of Health said the fake kits were sold online by Healthful Plus, which did not have the required license to import, distribute, or sell medical devices in the country. The fake test kits also bear the BTNX device identifier "COV-19C25".

The ministry added that the fake kits carry a label reading "Health Advance Inc." instead of BTNX. They also have a label with Health Advance as the "official Canadian distributor" and text that reads "approved by the Canadian Ministry of Health".

The warning stated that "the safety and effectiveness of these counterfeit kits have not been evaluated by the Canadian Ministry of Health," adding that the agency has contacted BTNX and confirmed that these kits are counterfeit.

"Based on the information available so far, the issue appears to be limited to one manufacturer, Health Advance Inc., and one distributor, Healthful Plus.

It appears that Health Advance Inc. no longer manufactures medical devices and the Healthful Plus website has been removed.

Health Canada is also informing provinces and territories about this issue, as well as holders of medical device establishment licenses, advising them not to purchase from the two companies or redistribute.

The Canadian Ministry of Health noted that there is no evidence indicating that counterfeit kits have been distributed elsewhere in the country.

Those who purchased test kits from Health Advance Inc. or Healthful Plus are asked not to use them, dispose of them, and report them to the agency.

They can also report it to BTNX Inc. by calling the toll-free number 1-888-339-9964 or emailing covid19@btnx.com with the subject "Suspected counterfeit BTNX tests."