DEATH TOLL RISE FEARED IN HEROIN EPIDEMIC

THE death toll from the mystery illness striking Dublin heroin addicts
could be much higher than first feared.

Medical experts are now investigating the sudden deaths of 14 drug
users.

Seven are known to have been victims of the illness and an eighth
death may be confirmed today. Three addicts are still in hospital,
having shown symptoms of the mystery killer.

The possible eighth victim is a female drug user who died in hospital
yesterday. Results of a post mortem examination are expected today.

The Garda national drugs unit has been appointed to co-ordinate
inquiries into the deaths and they are awaiting toxicology results.

Public health specialists in Dublin are maintaining close contacts
with colleagues in Glasgow where a number of addicts have also died in
similar circumstances due to contaminated heroin.

Dr Joe Barry, public health specialist with the Eastern Regional
Health Authority, said they were still keeping an open mind on the
causes of the deaths and it will take time before definite clues emerge.

``We are certain a number of names given to us by the Gardai do not
meet the medical description of the illness. We are checking with
pathologists carrying out post mortems. Unfortunately another person
has died this morning.''

Hopes are pinned on the expertise of disease specialist Dr Kristy
Murry, from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta,
USA, who is linking up with another colleague who is in Glasgow to
help out in the investigation.

However, it could be years before the suspect bacteria involved is
identified and public health experts last night pointed to the
emergence of HIV which was infecting people for years but not isolated
until 1984.

Dr Laurence Gruer, public health consultant in the Greater Glasgow
Health Board, said the pattern to date appears to be that victims
injected heroin into a muscle rather than a vein.

The addicts could have been using higher amounts of acid to dissolve
the heroin and this was having the effect of destroying muscle
allowing bacteria to invade.

TOXIC

Dr Gruer said the most likely cause of the illness and fatalities was
a contaminant bacteria in the heroin being used. This could be
possible to treat but the addicts who have tragically lost their lives
may have received medical care too late after a toxin entered the
bloodstream.

Around 70 drug users have so far contacted drug clinics set up by the
Eastern Regional Health Authority which has warned them against
injecting and is providing the heroin substitute, methadone.

Hundreds more are failing to heed to warning and craving a fix are
continuing to shoot up, some of them totally unware of the dangers,
according to support agencies.