Pubdate: Wed, 31 May 2000 Source: Guardian, The (UK) Copyright: 2000 Guardian Newspapers Limited Contact: 75 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER, England Fax: +44-171-837 4530 Website: http://www.newsunlimited.co.uk/guardian/ Forum: http://www.newsunlimited.co.uk/BBS/News/0,2161,Latest|Topics|3,00.html Author: Kirsty Scott INFECTION KILLS 18TH HEROIN USER An unidentified infection that has been killing heroin addicts in Scotland and Ireland has claimed another victim, health officials in Glasgow said yesterday. Twenty-six drug users in Glasgow and 14 in Dublin have contracted the illness; 18 of them have died. In Glasgow the illness emerged early this month, with 17 of the 26 cases affecting women and eight women being among the 12 dead. All are believed to have injected heroin direct into muscle tissue and have suffered severe inflammation around the site of the injection. The Dublin cases have followed a similar pattern as far as the illness is concerned, but most of the victims have been men. Health officials in Glasgow said they had spoken to their Irish counterparts and concluded that the two outbreaks were likely to have the same cause. Last week tests at the chemical warfare research centre in Porton Down, Wiltshire, ruled out anthrax, which scientists had suggested as the cause of the Glasgow outbreak. American specialists have been called in to help the investigations in both cities. Tissue samples from those affected have been sent to the centre for disease control and prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk