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| Situation Update No. 12 Ref.no.: EH-20091217-24200-GBR
Situation Update No. 12
On 2009-12-29 at 22:03:14 [UTC]
Event: Epidemic Hazard
Location: United Kingdom Scotland Glasgow
Number of Deads: 3 person(s)
Number of Infected: 1 person(s)
Situation: Health officials have confirmed that a third heroin user who died in hospital in Glasgow last week has tested positive for anthrax. The patient was being treated at the city's Royal Infirmary, where a second anthrax-related death also occurred last week. A man with the infection also died in Glasgow's Victoria Infirmary. Five heroin users have tested positive for anthrax - two of whom are said to be responding well to treatment. They are being treated at the Victoria Infirmary and Monklands General Hospital in Wishaw. Police and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are continuing to investigate whether contaminated heroin or a contaminated cutting agent may be responsible. Dr Syed Ahmed, consultant in public health medicine, said: "Drug injecting is extremely risky and dangerous. The possible presence of a batch of heroin contaminated with anthrax makes drug injecting even riskier and even more dangerous. "I urge all drug injecting heroin users to be extremely alert and to seek urgent medical advice if they experienced an infection." Anthrax is an acute bacterial infection most commonly found in hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep and goats. It normally infects humans when they inhale or ingest anthrax spores, but cannot be passed from person to person. The last previous death from anthrax in Scotland was in 2006 when Christopher Norris died after inhaling the spores. The 50-year-old craftsman, from Stobs, near Hawick, made drums with materials such as untreated animal hides. |  | | | |
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