Warning as flesh-eating bug kills drug-user

Published on Wednesday 31 December 2008 21:14

A DRUG-USER has died fromthe flesh-eating disease necro-tising fasciitis, health officials revealed yesterday.

Two other cases had been confirmed previously and a further possible case has been identified, according to NHS Lanarkshire.

Both the confirmed cases are in "serious" condition in hospital – one in Glasgow and one in Lanarkshire.

The adult male drug-user died on Christmas Eve, the health board said.

Officials yesterday repeated their warnings to drug-users about the dangers of injecting. Eight years ago, a similar outbreak claimed the lives of 43 addicts over six months in Scotland, north-west England, the West Midlands and Dublin.

A fatal accident inquiry found that 16 addicts from the Glas-gow area contracted the clos-tridium novyi bug from a contaminated batch of heroin which originated in Afghanistan.

Dr David Cromie, consultant in public health medicine at NHS Lanarkshire, said: "We have advised drug agencies, pharmacists, general practitioners and A&E departments all to be on alert for possible signs and symptoms to ensure early access to treatment.

"However, the main message has to be to drug-users on the dangers of injecting drugs."

Some forms of injection were "particularly dangerous" and smoking heroin carried less risk than injecting it, he said.

"If there is any pain or swell-ing around an injection site drug-users should seek urgent medical attention."

The bacteria which cause necrotising fasciitis can enter the body through small breaks in the skin. Several cases have been reported among people who are not drug-users, including some who have cut themselves while gardening.

The infection is fatal in around 20 per cent of cases.

Early symptoms include pain around the area where the infection entered the body and flu-like symptoms such as fever, nausea and weakness.

As it becomes more advanced, blood pressure drops severely and the body begins to go into toxic shock.