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In response to media enquiries on the anthrax outbreak affecting heroin users in Scotland, England and Germany, a spokesman for the Department of Health (DH) said today (April 30) that no human case of anthrax had been detected in Hong Kong of late.
As of April 29, 2010, a total of 36 laboratory-confirmed cases with 12 deaths have been recorded in Scotland, with a few cases reported in England and Germany.
According to Health Protection Scotland (HPS), the patients were likely to have contracted anthrax from taking heroin contaminated by anthrax spores. Further investigations are underway to trace the supply network and validate the hypothesis. There has been no evidence of person to person transmission or increased risk to the families, friends or other associates of the affected patients or to the general public.
The spokesman said the DH has always advised drug abusers to stay away from drugs including heroin, not just because of the risks of heroin itself, but also the risk of getting various infectious diseases such as anthrax, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, tetanus, sepsis and abscess.
"The department has alerted doctors, especially those working in methadone clinics, of the overseas situation," he said.
"We have enhanced health education in methadone clinics and reminded doctors working in methadone clinics to be vigilant."
The DH will also increase publicity on the risk of heroin at services for heroin abusers such as methadone clinics, drug treatment and rehabilitation centres and substance abuse clinics.
Anthrax is a statutory notifiable disease in Hong Kong. The DH has not recorded any anthrax cases since 2003.
Ends/Friday, April 30, 2010
Issued at HKT 18:45
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