Flesh-eating bug kills drug user

Injecting drug users are more vulnerable to the flesh-eating illness

A drug user from Lanarkshire has died after contracting a rare flesh-eating disease.

Health chiefs issued a public alert earlier this week after two other drug addicts fell seriously ill with necrotising fasciitis.

The latest victim died on Christmas Eve and was confirmed as having the illness.

NHS Lanarkshire said it was also investigating a fourth possible case of the disease.

This patient was said to be responding well to treatment.

The two previously confirmed cases remained in a serious condition in hospitals in Glasgow and Lanarkshire.

Dr David Cromie, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, reiterated the health warning to injecting drug users.

He said: "We have advised drug agencies, pharmacists, general practitioners and A&E departments all to be on alert for possible signs and symptoms to ensure early access to treatment.

Smoking heroin carries much less risk than injecting it. If there is any pain or swelling around an injection site drug users should seek urgent medical attention Dr David Cromie NHS Lanarkshire

"However the main message has to be to drug users on the dangers of injecting drugs. Muscle-popping, skin-popping, and injecting when a vein has been missed are particularly dangerous.

"Smoking heroin carries much less risk than injecting it. If there is any pain or swelling around an injection site drug users should seek urgent medical attention."

Injecting drug users are more vulnerable to the potentially fatal illness, because it commonly enters the body through broken skin.

Eight years ago a similar outbreak claimed the lives of 43 addicts over six months in Scotland, north-west England, the West Midlands and Dublin.

A fatal accident inquiry found 16 addicts from the Glasgow area contracted the clostridium novyi bug from a contaminated batch of heroin which originated in Afghanistan.