cannabisnews.com: Flesh-Eating Bacteria Kills Drug User in SF!





Flesh-Eating Bacteria Kills Drug User in SF!
Posted by FoM on June 17, 1999 at 06:36:49 PT
This is a health warning!
Source: SF Gate
San Francisco's Department of Public Health last night issued a warning to intravenous drug users and their doctors about a ``flesh-eating'' bacteria that has killed one woman and sickened another.
Dr. Thomas Aragon of the department said the deadly bacteria is apparently present in black tar heroin and methamphetamine. In the past two weeks, three intravenous drug users have been diagnosed with a bacterial infection that killed one 33-year-old woman and put another patient in an intensive care unit. Two of the patients, the 33- year-old who died and a 28-year- old woman, injected black tar heroin and shared needles. The third, a 30-year-old man, injected methamphetamine, or speed. The bacteria cultured from two of the patients is a Clostridium species, most likely Clostridium perfringens, which is known to cause this kind of infection. Health workers say intravenous drug users may be at higher risk for this type of infection and should seek medical attention if they develop swelling, redness, warmth, pain or tenderness at or near an injection area. The department is also alerting doctors, nurses and other health professionals to watch for any patients with these symptoms. Health officials are alerting drug users not to share needles, syringes, water, filters or other equipment. In addition, they warn that heating or ``cooking'' drugs does not kill the bacterium. Clostridium bacteria occur naturally, especially in soil, and health officials say there is no risk of being infected from casual contact with intravenous drug users. 
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