Anthrax Tainted Heroin

What a great way to rid the world of un-desirable illegal drug users!

* See "Bioterrorism, Biological Weapons & Anthrax; http://cjc.delaware.gov/PDF/part%204.pdf

ANTHRAX, HUMAN - UNITED KINGDOM (21): (SCOTLAND)
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Date: 12 Jul 2010
From: Ramsay Colin [edited]


RE: Anthrax, human - UK (20): (Scotland)
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Sadly, in the latest case, the evidence points to it being a "new"
case in that exposure to contaminated heroin must have occurred
shortly before the onset of illness in very late June [2010]. It,
therefore, seems that we still have contaminated heroin circulating
in at least one part of Scotland. However, this was the 1st "newly
exposed" case for some time.

If the theory that there was some sort of common contaminated "batch"
initially is correct, this may indicate a (very) gradual petering out
of the "contaminated" stock.

Alternatively, very low level anthrax spore contamination of heroin
supplies may have become a chronic issue, with newly imported
supplies carrying spores. The evidence for the alternative
explanation is scant however, in that we have not seen any further
geographic spread beyond the initial affected areas in Scotland; the
latest case lives in the area originally affected. The lack of
reports from elsewhere in the UK or Europe, apart from the 3 cases in
England and the 2 in Germany in the very early stages of the
outbreak, might be taken to support the original hypothesis of a
contaminated "batch." Investigations continue.

--
Colin Ramsay, MD
Consultant Epidemiologist
Health Protection Scotland
Clifton House, Clifton Place
Glasgow, G3 7LN
Scotland


[The reference to "new" is that latterly, some of the Scots cases
were based on revisiting some cases that didn't culture during the
clinical phase.

In epidemics that fail to stop but keep on giving, there is always
the concern that the agent might have switched sources. A good guide
in these days would also be whether the genotype had changed. But if
the newly imported contaminated heroin was coming from the same
valley in Afghanistan, one wouldn't expect to see a new genotype,
even when it came in a different goatskin.

Our thanks to Colin for this update. - Mod MHJ]

[see also:
Anthrax, human - UK (19): (Scotland) 20100625.2119
Anthrax, human - UK (18): (Scotland) 20100605.1870
Anthrax, human - UK (17): (Scotland) 20100602.1833
Anthrax, human - UK (16): (Scotland) 20100527.1756
Anthrax, human - UK (15): Scotland 20100518.1631
Anthrax, human - UK (14): Scotland 20100504.1448
Anthrax, human - UK (13): (Scotland) 20100424.1321
Anthrax, human - UK (12): (Scotland) features 20100420.1282
Anthrax, human - UK (11): (Scotland) 20100416.1239
Anthrax, human - UK (10): Scotland 20100412.1191
Anthrax, human - UK (09): (Scotland) comment 20100409.1154
Anthrax, human - UK (08): (Scotland) 20100407.1120
Anthrax, human - UK (07): (Scotland) 20100401.1046
Anthrax, human - UK (06): (Scotland, England) 20100329.0991
Anthrax, human - UK (05): (Scotland) 20100322.0911
Anthrax, human - UK (04): (Scotland) corr. 20100317.0854
Anthrax, human - UK (03): (Scotland) 20100316.0847
Anthrax, human - UK (02): Scotland 20100312.0794
Anthrax, human - UK (01): (Scotland) 20100310.0780
2009
----
Anthrax, human - UK (04): (Scotland) 20091224.4333
Anthrax, human - United Kingdom (03): (Scotland) 20091222.4317
Anthrax, human - UK (02): (Scotland) 20091219.4288
Anthrax, human - UK: (Scotland) heroin users 20091217.4270]
..............................................................mhj/msp/dk

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