Anthrax alert: For the attention of drug services

Further to recent communications from Europe the alert below was issued yesterday by public health authorities in Lanarkshire ,Scotland regarding a drug user in Scotland contracting Anthrax.

The alert was distributed yesterday among clinical, emergency and micro-biological services and among a range of drug services. The alert should be forwarded to the full range of drug services for information.

Drug services are asked to be on the alert and to inform clients of the developments in Scotland and the risks associated with heroin use, particularly when injected into muscle, skin and in the tissues surrounding veins. If there is any pain or swelling around an injection site  drug users should seek urgent medical attention.

Alert

"There has been a confirmed case in Lanarkshire of  anthrax bacteria, health
authorities have confirmed.

Details of the patient have not been disclosed but they are known to be an
injecting heroin user.

The patient is in a critical but stable condition in hospital.

Public health experts fear that a batch of heroin infected with anthrax is
in circulation in Lanarkshire and elsewhere in Scotland.

Dr David Cromie, Consultant in Public Health Medicine at NHS Lanarkshire,
said: "It is possible that heroin contaminated with anthrax may be
circulating in Lanarkshire and potentially other parts of Scotland. There
have been recent reports of anthrax from contaminated heroin in other
Western European Countries, the most recent reported outbreak being in
Germany.

"It is important that drug users are aware of the particular dangers
involved when they are injecting heroin.

"Clinicians and microbiologist are on alert to the possibility of anthrax in
heroin users who present with appropriate signs and symptoms. Injecting drug
users known to Lanarkshire addiction services are being contacted to raise
their awareness.

"The advice to drug users is to avoid all heroin use, which we recognise may
be very difficult for drug users to follow."

"Muscle-popping, skin-popping, and injecting when a vein has been missed are
particularly dangerous. Smoking heroin carries much less risk than injecting
it. If there is any pain or swelling around an injection site drug users
should seek urgent medical attention."