Lessons for Control of Heroin-Associated Anthrax in Europe from 2009–2010 Outbreak Case Studies, London, UK

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Emerg Infect Dis
• Personal Author:
  Abbara, Aula ; Brooks, Tim ; Taylor, Graham P. ; Nolan, Marianne ; Donaldson, Hugo ; Manikon, Maribel ; Holmes, Alison
• Description:
  Outbreaks of serious infections associated with heroin use in persons who inject drugs (PWIDs) occur intermittently and require vigilance and rapid reporting of individual cases. Here, we give a firsthand account of the cases in London during an outbreak of heroin-associated anthrax during 2009-2010 in the United Kingdom. This new manifestation of anthrax has resulted in a clinical manifestation distinct from already recognized forms. During 2012-13, additional cases of heroin-associated anthrax among PWIDs in England and other European countries were reported, suggesting that anthrax-contaminated heroin remains in circulation. Antibacterial drugs used for serious soft tissue infection are effective against anthrax, which may lead to substantial underrecognition of this novel illness. The outbreak in London provides a strong case for ongoing vigilance and the use of serologic testing in diagnosis and serologic surveillance schemes to determine and monitor the prevalence of anthrax exposure in the PWID community.
• Subjects:
  Adult Anthrax Anti-Bacterial Agents Bacillus Anthracis Disease Outbreaks Female Heroin Humans Male Middle Aged Soft Tissue Infections

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• Source:
  Emerg Infect Dis. 20(7):1115-1122.
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  London, England
• Volume:
  20
• Issue:
  7
• Collection(s):
  Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:561f0c80218f2b25a2a83dc3d59700070f476a59255833365cc1400c1a3f284e
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/24109/cdc_24109_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 449.17 KB ]