Pubdate: Sat, 13 May 2000
Source: Daily Record and Sunday Mail (UK)
Copyright: 2000 Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd.
Contact:  Anderston Quay, Glasgow, Scotland, G3 8DA
Website: http://www.record-mail.co.uk/rm/

MYSTERY HEROIN BUG KILLS NINTH JUNKIE

A ninth junkie has died of a mysterious infection hitting heroin
addicts across Glasgow.

The woman was taken to hospital with multiple abscesses yesterday but
died just 20 minutes after arriving.

While 11 have survived the infection from a diseased batch of heroin
sweeping the city, yesterday's death brings the number of victims to
20.

A further five men were admitted to hospitals in the past 24 hours
with small abscesses - but they have been ruled out of the poison
investigation.

Eight of the dead were women.

Last night, health experts were still trying to discover the exact
cause of the outbreak with tests on heroin samples.

Health experts thought it may have come from the citric acid junkies
mix with heroin.

But it's been revealed that victims didn't use the same
batch.

All of the sufferers have come out in fiery abscesses hours after
injecting heroin.

Dr Laurence Gruer, consultant in public health medicine at Greater
Glasgow Health Board, said a bug or chemical could have got into
supplies before they reached the city.

He said more women are being hit because it is easier for them to
inject into muscles.

There, the heroin lies in an area without oxygen - an ideal breeding
ground for infection.

Users have been warned not to inject the drug until health chiefs
trace the source of the disease.

Last night, a health board spokesman said: "They should seek urgent
medical attention if they develop a serious abscess or severe
inflammation and should avoid injecting into the muscle."

At first they believed the disease was confined to Glasgow's Govanhill
area.

But as more people are admitted to hospital, it is clear the infection
is becoming more wide-spread.
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