12/02/10
A total of 19 cases of anthrax infection have been confirmed in Scotland since the beginning of December 2009 among heroin users . Nine cases have died and the latest were reported on 5 February 2010. The cases occurred in the catchment areas of NHS Forth Valley (1 case - dead), NHS Tayside (3 cases - 2 dead), NHS Lanarkshire (3 cases - all alive), NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area (10 cases - including 6 deaths), Ayrshire and Arran (1 case, alive) and NHS Fife (1 case, alive).
The German health authorities reported on 12 January 2010 a case of anthrax in an injecting drug user. The case was hospitalised on 6 December 2009 and died from multiorgan failure on 13 December 2009. Laboratory tests carried out in Germany on this confirmed case have shown that the strain is indistinguishable from the strains isolated from cases in Scotland.
The UK health authorities reported on 5 February 2010 a confirmed case of anthrax among an injecting heroin user in the London area. A fatal second case was reported from Blackpool on 10 February 2010.
Click HERE for the Joint ECDC and EMCDDA Threat Assessment. Anthrax outbreak among drug users, UK and Germany.