UK- Injection Anthrax inquest, 42(F) Medway, Kent

[Biological]

Case Highlights:

“The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is aware that a person who injected heroin has been diagnosed with anthrax infection in Medway and has died!”
It is unclear as yet whether these recent cases are linked to the cases in Europe (four in Germany, two in Denmark and one in France) but the HPA is continuing to monitor the situation

42-year-old woman/mother, from Rochester, Kent,(born in Chatham) died at King's College Hospital in London on 9 Dec 2012.

According to an inquest at the Archbishop's Palace in Maidstone
Injection route: cellulitis of left arm initially diagnosed as DVT, underwent surgery and given an intravenous infusion of a drug designed to clear the clot in her arm.

Methadone was requested while in hospital and shortly after she suffered cardiac arrest and an intracranial bleed.

Inquest was told the bacteria had spread to her brain and caused bleeding, which can develop very quickly.

The cause of death was given as acute bacterial infection anthrax and intravenous drug abuse (accidental death)

At time of HPA report Genotyping of the strain of B. anthracis was pending (unknown if updated)

Sources:
A case of anthrax in a person who injected heroin in Kent
HPA - Case of anthrax in Medway
http://www.hpa.org.uk/NewsCentre/Na...012PressReleases/121219CaseofAnthraxinMedway/

Unofficial report from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...es-injecting-heroin-contaminated-ANTHRAX.html via ProMed

ProMed 26 June 2013 (Inquest)
http://www.promedmail.org/?p=2400:1..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1095,77411

 

[Biological]

Re: UK- Injection Anthrax inquest, 42(F) Medway, Kent

Published Date: 2013-06-27 16:20:29
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Anthrax - UK (03): (England), Kent case report
Archive Number: 20130627.1795589

ANTHRAX - UK (03): (ENGLAND), KENT CASE REPORT
**********************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

Date: Wed 26 Jun 2013
Source: KentOnline [edited]
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway_messenger/news/Anthrax-death-2503/


A mother died when she contracted anthrax after injecting contaminated heroin, an inquest heard.

[The woman], Rochester [Kent], injected the drug and soon complained of pain and swelling in her left arm. The 42-year-old, who had a daughter, visited her GP on [7 Dec 2012]. She was diagnosed with cellulitis -- inflammation of the skin. That evening she visited Medway Maritime Hospital and doctors diagnosed her as having deep vein thrombosis.

[The 42 year old woman], who was born in Chatham, was taken into surgery and given an intravenous infusion of a drug designed to clear the clot in her arm.

An inquest at the Archbishop's Palace in Maidstone heard she requested methadone as she was in pain.

However, a coroner heard a nurse later found the patient, who was trying to quit heroin, drinking from the bottle. Shortly after taking the methadone, she suffered a cardiac arrest and a scan revealed there was bleeding on the right side of her brain. She was rushed to King's College Hospital in London, but died on [9 Dec 2012].

The cause of death was given as the acute bacterial infection anthrax and intravenous drug abuse. The inquest was told the bacteria had spread to her brain and caused bleeding, which can develop very quickly.

Coroner Patricia Harding recorded a verdict of accidental death.

[Byline: Alan McGuinness]

http://www.promedmail.org/?p=2400:1..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1095,77411


--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[This case was previously reported by ProMED-mail (see archives 20121224.1467879 and 20121219.1460313).