A male patient has been confirmed as the third heroin user in Glasgow, Scotland to have contracted anthrax.
The patient remains in a critical condition in Glasgow’s Royal Infirmary. A man who was infected with the deadly bacteria last week died on December 16 and a woman who was admitted at the same time remains hospitalized.
The source of the infection is believed to be “contaminated heroin or a contaminated cutting agent”.
Public health medicine consultant Dr Syed Ahmed, urged caution amongst Glasgow’s intravenous drug users:
I urge all drug injecting heroin users to be extremely alert and to seek urgent medical advice if they experienced an infection. Drug injecting is extremely risky and dangerous. The possible presence of a batch of heroin contaminated with anthrax makes drug injecting even riskier and even more dangerous.
While this section of the community need to be on their guard the risk to the rest of the population – including close family members of the infected cases – is negligible.
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