Flesh-eating bug kills 2 county drug users

Jan 8 2009 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

TWO Lanarkshire heroin addicts have died after contracting the flesh-eating bug necrotising fasciitis.

One died from the rare condition on Christmas Eve and the other on January 3.

Another two drug users are being treated in hospital – one of whom may have the deadly bug.

NHS Lanarkshire said this week that the patients are making a gradual improvement and that no new cases have been reported.

An investigation is underway into the cause of the outbreak.

It is unusual to have two cases of the potentially fatal infection close together and one possibility is that they are a result of a contaminated batch of heroin.

NHS Lanarkshire have issued a warning to addicts to be aware of the dangers involved when injecting heroin.

Injecting drug users are more prone to the illness as the substance enters the body through broken skin.

NHS Lanarkshire consultant in public health medicine, Dr John Logan, said: “While we are investigating the possible causes of the illness in these patients, the clinical picture is similar to that seen in and around Glasgow in 2000.

“At that time there were a number of severe infections among injecting drug users.

“The patients affected may have injected heroin, which was contaminated with spores that can cause severe illness.”

Dr Logan advised drug users not to use heroin, but if they had to, advised them to smoke it as this carries much less risk than injecting it.

He added: “Muscle-popping, skin-popping and injecting when a vein has been missed are particularly dangerous.”

Drug users were also advised to seek urgent medical attention if they experience any pain or swelling around an injection site.

Sixty injecting drug users in Scotland during the year 2000 acquired a severe necrotising fasciitis-like infection which spread rapidly and caused extensive skin and muscle damage.

Twenty three users subsequently died.

Further warnings given to injecting drug users include not sharing or reusing needles, spoons or syringes, preparing in a clean place and carefully washing hands and skin beforehand.