Pubdate: Wed, 31 May 2000 Source: Scotsman (UK) Copyright: The Scotsman Publications Ltd 2000 Contact: http://www.scotsman.com/ Forum: http://www.scotsman.com/ Author: Tom Gordon NEW BUG MAY BE CAUSE OF DRUG ADDICTS' DEATHS AN ENTIRELY new type of micro-organism may have killed 19 heroin addicts in Glasgow and Dublin in the past month, the scientist investigating the case said last night. The possibility that a hitherto unknown organism could be to blame, as was the case when Legionnaire's disease appeared in 1976, emerged as Greater Glasgow Health Board said that 12 deaths in the Glasgow area shared a common cause with seven in south-west Dublin. The latest Glasgow victim was confirmed yesterday as it was revealed that the death of a young mother of one in Aberdeen was linked to the mounting toll last night. Grampian Health Board said there appeared to be similarities with the Glasgow and Dublin fatalities and the death in hospital of Rachael Wilson, 25, a heroin addict, on Sunday. Dr Laurence Gruer, head of addiction services with GGHB, said that after exhausting "all the obvious possibilities", scientists were considering the "totally unexpected". He said: "We have to consider the possibility that there is a completely new bacterium. Just think back to Legionnaire's disease. When that first came along no-one knew what that one was. We have to keep our minds open here." Dr Gruer said that scientists were also investigating whether botulism-like bacteria present as spores in heroin were responsible for the condition, which has infected 26 addicts in Glasgow and 14 in Dublin. Although the Clostridium bacteria thrive only in the absence of oxygen, he said that the citric acid which addicts used to dissolve heroin can destroy muscle and provide them with ideal conditions. Once released from suspended animation, the bacteria produce powerful toxins which result in organ failure, including a weakened heart. When five drug addicts died in a three-week spell in San Francisco last year, Clostridum perfringens was blamed. As with the Glasgow addicts, large abscesses spread from around the injection areas. Botulism, which produces the most powerful toxin known to man, is a member of the same family of bacteria, but is not believed to be involved in the current deaths. Dr Gruer said that weekend talks with counterparts in Dublin had revealed the Irish and Scottish cases appeared to be "identical". He said: "It looks as though whatever has been causing the problem in Glasgow has also been causing the problem in Dublin. That would tend to be compatible with some batch of heroin that had found its way into both cities." Dr Joe Barry, a health medicine specialist with Eastern Regional Health Board in the Irish Republic, said: "We agree that we seem to be dealing with the same phenomenon in both cities and we very much value our collaboration with investigators in Scotland." Dr Gruer said that another possible cause was a known bug which had simply been overlooked as a candidate. He cited the example of Helicobacter pylori, which was regarded as an innocuous until the early 1980s, but is now known to cause peptic ulcers. Tissue samples from addicts are now being analysed at the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, where Legionnaire's disease was first identified. One of the centre's leading epidemiologists, Dr Jai Lingappa, is in Glasgow. The Department of Health's centre for applied microbiology and research at Porton Down, Wiltshire, is also continuing to check samples after two apparently positive results for anthrax were later discounted. Ms Wilson's parents, Hugh and Margaret, released a brief statement on their daughter's death. The couple said: "We have been devastated by the death of Rachael who was a loving daughter, caring sister and devoted mother. "This loss will be felt by all her friends and relatives and we are just beginning to come to terms with the tragedy. " - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D