'Mystery illness' kills addicts

Concern over possible "rogue batch" of heroin

Six drugs users have died in the Glasgow area over the past 10 days, it has been revealed.

Doctors have issued an urgent plea to users amid fears that either a "bad batch" of heroin has been the cause or an unusual type of substance may have been contained in the citric acid used to dissolve the drugs.

Three people were reported to be seriously ill in hospital and a further four have been released after receiving treatment.

Urgent warning to drugs addicts

Medical experts said five of the six people who have died were women and have warned any drugs users who develop abscesses to seek urgent medical attention.

Greater Glasgow Health Board has warned hospitals and general practitioners, alerting them to the "severe, unexplained illness" which has afflicted 13 people in the past fortnight.

The board said the illness usually began with the appearance of an "abscess or inflammation at the point of injection".

This, it said, gradually became more widespread in the victims and six people had died.

Public health consultant, Dr Laurence Gruer, said the majority of cases were in the Govanhill area of the city and there had been no evident physical contact between any of the victims.

'Toxic material'

He said: "We have not pinpointed the cause of the illness but urgent investigations are continuing.

"Most of the patients appear to have been injecting into their muscles or have accidentally missed the vein.

"The most likely explanation is that they have injected heroin or a substance used to dissolve it which has been contaminated with infective or toxic material."

He advised addicts to avoid injecting into their muscles.

So far, there have been 36 drugs-related deaths in the Strathclyde area this year. There were 52 drugs deaths in the region last year - a record number.