FATAL MYSTERY ILLNESS NOT ANTHRAX

A mystery illness that has claimed the lives of 11 heroin addicts is
definitely not caused by anthrax, health officials said yesterday.

The possibility that the illness, which has affected 25 drug injectors in
the past three weeks, was caused by the deadly germ warfare bug was raised
by scientists last week. Yesterday Greater Glasgow Health Board said tests
at the Ministry of Defence's chemical weapons research department at Porton
Down had firmly ruled out the possibility of anthrax. But other tests were
continuing into the cause of the illness, which has claimed the lives of 11
addicts in the west of Scotland.

Health officials said no new cases of the illness had emerged in the city
since 19 May, when the total rose to 25.

Dr Laurence Gruer, Greater Glasgow Health Board's public health consultant,
said one test had provided a "slightly" positive reaction showing the
possible presence of anthrax, leading to the germ warfare bug link. "A
second sample from the same survivor of the illness showed a negative
reaction, which ruled out the possibility of anthrax. If it had been at all
present, there would have been a positive reaction."

All the reported cases were from the west of Scotland, and most were from
the Govanhill and Possilpark areas of Glasgow.

The suspected link to anthrax was raised last week after one addict who
survived the illness was revealed to have a black scab, a hallmark of
anthrax infection.

Scientists feared a link to a Norwegian case where anthrax bacilli were
found in the spinal fluid of an addict who died in April after injecting
heroin into muscle.