Danish heroin user who died tests positive for anthrax, authorities say no contamination risk

[tawadi]

Source: Washington Post

By Associated Press, Updated: Monday, July 9, 8:32 AM

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Danish authorities say an intravenous drug user who injected heroin and died has tested positive for anthrax.

The Health Ministry suspects the drug was contaminated with the bacillus anthracis strain of anthrax. The 55-year-old addict died Sunday.

Terrorism is not suspected, and the health ministry says there is no risk of contagion because the bacteria cannot be passed from person to person.


Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/danish-heroin-user-who-died-tests-positive-for-anthrax-authorities-say-no-contamination-risk/2012/07/09/gJQAu5F7XW_story.html

[marble falls]

1. And it was contaminated exactly how?

[Comrade Grumpy]

3. There is anthrax in Afghanistan.

This has happened before. A couple of years ago, a dozen or so British and German heroin injectors got athrax from Afghan smack.

[Duer 157099]

2. "Terrorism is not suspected"

...because the victim(s) is/are IV drug users and who cares about them really?

Wow.

[tawadi]

4. That is why I posted this

Just seemed really strange to me.

[Comrade Grumpy]

5. The Danish Street Lawyers are up in arms about it.

http://cphpost.dk/news/local/drug-activists-take-streets-after-anthrax-found-heroin

The group advocates for hard drug users. They are criticizing Danish authorities for failing to warn users about the possibility of contaminated heroin after a German injector died of anthrax a couple of weeks ago.

And they have an explanation for what is going on (from the article linked above):

Anthrax commonly infects wild and domesticated herbivorous mammals that ingest or inhale the spores while grazing.

Gotfredsen said the heroin may have been infected due to unsanitary conditions where it is processed.

“In Afghanistan, opium is often grown and processed right next to the goats and other livestock. It is possible that it was contaminated there, “she said. “ Production is so primitive that one often finds e. coli bacteria and other filth in the heroin.”

[tawadi]

6. Thank you for the link

It makes sense now ('In Afghanistan, opium is often grown and processed right next to the goats and other livestock'). What doesn't make sense is the failure to warn drug users.

[Comrade Grumpy]

7. It's an enduring and infuriating issue.

Recently, there had been some bad Ecstasy floating around western Canada, which led to a dozen or so deaths. Canadian police refused to identify what the bad stuff looked like on the grounds that all Ecstasy was dangerous.

Then there's the veterinary drug levamisole, which is turning up in lots of cocaine. It causes nasty diseases. At least some public health offices in the US put out announcements about that.

In that earlier outbreak of anthrax smack, it took British authorities a handful of deaths before they started yelling about it. And all they would say was "don't do heroin." Not very useful. Harm reductionists called on the government to supply pharmaceutical heroin (they use it medically there), to no avail.