Tenth addict dies from mystery illness

Injections into muscles are a factor in the deaths

A tenth person has died from a mystery illness which has been spreading among Glasgow drug users.

The man, who has not been named, died in the city's Stobhill Hospital on Tuesday morning.

A Greater Glasgow Health Board spokeswoman said the death meant eight women and two men have now lost their lives to the condition.

Both police and doctors have been continuing to investigate the outbreak which has resulted in 20 known cases.

Fears among Glasgow drug addicts

A number of addicts have been treated in hospital, although their conditions were not said to be giving cause for concern.

Symptoms begin with a red swelling around the area where drugs have been injected.

This develops into an abscess and a septicaemia-like condition, which leads in severe cases to multiple organ failure and death.

Cases began to appear just over two weeks ago and have caused alarm among drug users throughout Glasgow city after first being reported in Govanhill on the south side.

Initially it was thought the illness may have been connected to citric acid used by addicts to dissolve heroin before it is injected.

Wider community

However, the focus has shifted and the possibility of a contaminated batch of the drug has been undergoing examination by police and health officials.

Tests for infection have so far proved negative, the spokeswoman said, adding that there was no evidence that the illness was spread from person to person and the wider community was not at risk.

GPs, accident and emergency departments and services for drug users have been alerted to the situation.

Fears over the mystery illness reached Fife on Monday when police there issued a warning about the possibility of contaminated heroin circulating in the area.

However, the force said there was no suggestion of a connection with the deaths in Glasgow.