Tenth heroin addict dies as anthrax continues to spread

Published on Monday 22 February 2010 21:14

A TENTH heroin user has died in Scotland after becoming infected with anthrax.

The latest death came in the Fife area, Health Protection Scotland said yesterday.

Elsewhere, another drug user was confirmed to be infected with the deadly bacteria after using what is thought to be a contaminated batch of heroin.

The individual is being treated in hospital.

Officials said the case was the first in the Dumfries and Galloway area, indicating that the outbreak is continuing to spread around the country.

Health Protection Scotland said the spread of the outbreak to a new area suggests that contaminated heroin is still in circulation.

Scotland has seen a total of 24 cases linked to heroin during this outbreak.

Anthrax is a deadly bacterial infection which occurs mostly in animals in Asia, Africa and parts of Europe. Humans are seldom infected and it is extremely rare for anthrax to be spread from person to person.

The current outbreak began with the identification of cases in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in December. Cases have now been recorded in seven NHS board areas across Scotland.

An investigation by health boards, the procurator fiscal and Strathclyde Police is trying to identify the source.

One possibility is that contaminated heroin, or a contaminated agent used to cut the drug, is to blame.

Dr Colin Ramsay, consultant epidemiologist at Health Protection Scotland, said

: "There is no way to tell if your heroin is contaminated and there is no way to prepare or take heroin that will make it safe if it has anthrax contamination.

"Drug users are advised to stop taking heroin if at all possible. While we appreciate this may be difficult advice to follow, it remains the only public health protection advice possible."