BREAKTHROUGH ON HEROIN MAY NOT BE ENOUGH

Health experts fighting a mystery illness striking heroin users say
bacteria blamed in Britain may not be the cause of outbreak here.

Scientists in the UK announced a breakthrough a fortnight ago when a
soil based bacterium, called Clostridium A, was found in the
bloodstream of patients believed to have used contaminated heroin.

But health officials here are still unable to confirm if the same bug
is responsible for eight deaths and 14 other cases of severe
infections in heroin addicts in Dublin.

"We are in contact with experts in Britain and monitoring the
situation there but we have nothing conclusive here yet. The tests are
still continuing," said a spokeperson for the Eastern Regional Health
Authority.

The authority confirmed on Thursday that three more cases of the
illness had come to light, leading to a warning that contaminated
heroin may still be circulation.