NINTH VICTIM OF MYSTERY ILLNESS

Grampian Studies Case As Woman Addict Dies

A FEMALE heroin user has died from a mystery illness sweeping Glasgow's
drug injecting community, bringing the death toll to nine.

The woman died 20 minutes after being admitted to hospital with multiple
abscesses.

At least 20 people have now been affected by the illness, which emerged
less than three weeks ago. Eight are recovering in hospital and three have
been discharged.

Health experts are investigating the illness but are unclear as to what is
causing the outbreak. All of the people who died had a serious abscess on
their skin, which spread and released a toxin into the body resulting in
multiorgan failure.

Last night, Grampian Health Board said it believed a recent drug death in
the area may be linked to the Glasgow incidents. A health board spokesman
said after re-examining the circumstances of a drugs-related death which
happened around ten days ago, certain similarities had been established.

He said: "As far as we know this is an isolated case. Grampian Health Board
took immediate action to alert GPs and our A&E department and we have, to
date, no evidence of any further cases."

Of the 20 reported cases in the Glasgow area, 15 have been female and eight
of those who have died were women.

A spokeswoman for Greater Glasgow Health Board said the woman who died had
symptoms in common with all the other users who have been affected.

She said: "Our advice to injectors remains that they should seek urgent
medical attention if they develop a serious abscess or severe tissue
inflammation and should avoid injecting into muscle if at all possible."

Initially it was thought the illness may have been connected to citric acid
used by addicts to dissolve heroin before it is injected.

However the focus has shifted and the possibility that a contaminated batch
of the drug was released onto the street is being examined by police and
health officials.

Most of the early cases had centred in the Govanhill district on the city's
south side but more cases had since been identified north of the River
Clyde.

The spokeswoman said that a further five male drug injectors from various
parts of Glasgow had been admitted in the past 24 hours with smaller
injecting related abscesses.

She said: "Their illnesses are not severe or unusual and are therefore not
considered part of the group under investigation."

She added that tests being carried out as part of the inquiry included
analysis of blood, tissue and heroin from dead addicts and that samples
from live drug users were also being examined. Preliminary tests for
infection had so far proved negative.

There is no evidence to suggest the illness is spread from person to person
and doctors say the wider community is not at risk. GPs, accident and
emergency departments and services for drug users throughout the city have
been alerted.

Police have uncovered drugs, including large quantities of cocaine, ecstasy
and cannabis with a street value of =A3250,000, in a major operation in
Tayside and Strathclyde. The joint operation, involving Tayside,
Strathclyde and Central Scotland police forces resulted in five men being
arrested.

Tayside Police, who spearheaded the swoop called Operation Waverley, claim
it is one of the biggest busts in the history of the force and underlined
its importance by saying that lives may have been saved.

The operation saw the newly formed Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency acting
with Scottish forces for the first time.

Detective Chief Superintendent Scott Robertson, head of Tayside CID, said:
"This has been a significant seizure of drugs resulting from a highly
effective intelligence-led operation by Tayside officers, fully supported
by staff from the new SDEA and other Scottish forces."

Five men are expected to appear in court on Monday.