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Users advised to use fresh filters as anthrax outbreak spreads
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22 January 2010
A WARNING to heroin users not to re-use filters has come from the agency tackling the deadly outbreak of anthrax among heroin users in Scotland.
The warning came as the infection was confirmed today as having spread to a single case in Ayrshire and Arran, the sixth NHS board area in Scotland where cases have been confirmed.
The total number of confirmed cases in the outbreak now stands at 15, seven of whom have died since the infection was first identified in Glasgow in December 2009.
In addition to Ayrshire and Arran, cases have been confirmed in Fife (1) Forth Valley (1), Greater Glasgow & Clyde (7), Lanarkshire (3), Tayside (2). Four of the deaths have been in Greater Glasgow and Clyde and all the confirmed cases in Tayside and Forth Valley have died.
Heroin users are being urged to seek medical advice immediately if they experience signs of infection such as redness and swelling of an infection site or high fever.
Dr Colin Ramsay, Consultant Epidemiologist at Health Protection Scotland, said:
"Any users who continue to inject heroin are strongly recommended not to re-use filters, but to use a fresh filter each time they are used.
"Users who do not currently use filters are reminded of the current harm reduction policy to do so, however they must ensure these are discarded after each use.
"Use of filters will not make heroin safe or remove all traces of anthrax contamination so the best advice remains not to use heroin by any method."
Scottish Drugs Forum has published a workers's briefing document
Anthrax and Heroin Users - What Workers Need to Know today, in association with HPS, to assist people working with heroin users in identifying signs of anthrax.
Workers are being encouraged to actively assist people with signs of the infection to seek medical advice because anthrax can be cured if treatment is started at an early stage.
See
HPS latest press release here and also
Workers' anthrax briefing aims to save lives.