Killer heroin claims new victim

The outbreak was first discovered in Glasgow

A contaminated batch of heroin has claimed another life in Glasgow, health experts believe.

A woman died in hospital early on Thursday, more than a month after the last reported case linked to the killer outbreak.

The case brings the number of deaths in Scotland attributed to the contaminated drugs to 22 - all except four of them in Glasgow.

But Greater Glasgow Health Board's drug expert Dr Laurence Gruer believes the outbreak is almost at its end.

It is likely that virtually all of the contaminated heroin has now been used up

Dr Laurence Gruer, Greater Glasgow Health Board

He revealed on Thursday that two more cases had come to light in Glasgow, taking the number of reported cases to 57 in Scotland.

The woman who died showed identical symptoms to those addicts struck by the infection, which has been linked to heroin contaminated by the clostridium microbe.

A second woman is currently said to be in a "stable" condition in hospital afterbeing struck by the outbreak.

Dr Gruer said: "It is disappointing to learn that these two new cases have occurred.

"However, in at least one the heroin used had apparently been prepared at least six weeks ago.

"It is likely that virtually all of the contaminated heroin has now been used up.

Bacterium isolated

"There have been no new cases reported from the rest of Scotland or from England or Ireland for several weeks."

More than 30 cases have been reported among drug users in Dublin and northern England, leading to at least 17 deaths.

In June, the health board reported that the bacterium clostridium novyi had been isolated from three Scottish cases.

Dr Laurence Gruer: "Outbreak nearing end"

Following work in laboratories in Atlanta and Cardiff, it has now been isolated from a total of 11 Scottish cases.

It is now thought likely that the toxin produced by the bacteria was responsible for many, if not all, of the deaths.

Other types of clostridium bacteria have also been isolated from some of the patients.

The contaminated batch of heroin first came to light in Glasgow at the beginning of May after the death of six addicts in the Govanhill area of Glasgow.

The illness has only affected drug users who inject heroin directly into muscle as opposed to a blood vein.

The deaths in Scotland are still subject to an ongoing criminal investigation and it is likely there will also be a fatal accident inquiry in due course.