The Health Protection Agency (HPA) together with NHS London has confirmed a positive anthrax case in a heroin user in London and is currently in hospital for treatment.  Such organisations cannot stress enough the importance of taking precautionary measures when taking heroin and have advised to cease consumption if possible.

Heroin users are being warned as anthrax in drug abusers has claimed its first victim in England.  The death toll of addicts now reaches 11 in the UK and Germany.  Investigations are underway as these cases have no known links to the outbreak in Scotland.

Released on the 22^nd January, Scotland’s NHS has reported 15 cases of confirmed anthrax within drug users with the latest cases in NHS Ayrshire and Arran.  This brings the number of confirmed cases in six NHS boards.  The release also provides an important question & answer sheet.   Health Protection Scotland advises all drug users need to be aware of the risk that their supply of heroin may be contaminated.  Read here for more.

Seven have been reported dead and 14 hospitalised as heroin is suspected to have been contaminated with anthrax.  How anthrax got there remains a mystery.  It is possible to have been added either whilst en route to or within the UK.  Jolene Crawford, head of Transform Drug Policy Foundation Scotland states that these recent deaths have “exposed the flaws in the Scottish Government’s drugs policy.”

Unfortunately, as Patricia Tracey (Glasgow Drug Crisis Centre) puts it, “[u]sers are concerned, but not concerned enough to stop using.”