FIVE MORE FELLED BY HEROIN SICKNESS

FIVE more drug addicts fell victim to the heroin sickness sweeping
Strathclyde yesterday, as support agencies in Fife were told a contaminated
batch of drugs may be circulating in their area.

The new cases, which came to light over the weekend and who were last night
being treated in Glasgow hospitals, bring to 25 the total number of addicts
affected by the tainted heroin, the origin of which remains unknown.

Nine people, eight of them women, have died from the illness so far. All
those infected have developed serious abscesses as a result of injecting
into muscle or accidentally outside a vein.

It is thought more women than men have been struck down as they tend to
inject more often into muscle tissue because their veins are more likely to
suffer collapse.

Greater Glasgow Health Board yesterday said the new intake of addicts had
similar symptoms to the drug users already admitted to hospital with the
illness.

"Post-mortem examinations have been carried out on eight cases," a
spokeswoman for the board said. "Their deaths have all been certified by
the pathologists as due to multiple organ failure consistent with
overwhelming infection."

But the board said tests of heroin had so far revealed no positive results.
"The most likely explanation remains that there has been an unusual
contaminant of a batch of heroin which results in severe damage to the
muscle or other tissue into which is has been injected. This may allow
otherwise relatively harmless bacteria to cause serious infection."

Meanwhile, police and health authorities in Fife said they believed a
contaminated batch of heroin was being sold thought to be likely to lead to
infection.

Mr David Mellor, chairman of Fife Drug and Alcohol Action Team, said that
although there was no evidence of a connection with the deaths in
Strathclyde, the heroin circulating in his area had prompted "cause for
concern".

He said: "Information has been received that heroin, diluted with an
unusual contaminant, is being sold in Fife. Anyone with information
concerning the source of this or of any other drug should contact police."