With dozens of confirmed cases of anthrax reported throughout Europe since 2009, including scores of cases in neighboring Scotland and England, the Irish Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) in Dublin has issued guidance to assist clinicians in Ireland in clinical and microbiological assessment of suspected cases of infection with B. anthracis in injecting drug users (IDUs).
Included in this guidance for health care provider is a clinical algorithm on the clinical presentation of anthrax in a suspected IDU, diagnosis, case definition, management and treatment of such cases.
According to the HPSC, In Scotland in December 2009, an outbreak of anthrax was identified among injecting drug user (IDUs) centered in Glasgow. The initial Scottish cluster of infection in IDUs began in 2009 and resulted in 119 patients being classed as having anthrax, with 47 of these being confirmed. Fourteen of these cases died. In addition, there were three related cases in England.
Source: theglobaldispatch.com
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