Doctors expect the US Centre for Disease Control to confirm that the cause of the mystery illness among heroin users in this State is the same as in Scotland.
The clostridium family of bacteria are best known as a cause of botulism, a relatively common form of food poisoning. The ingested food contains a preformed toxin, caused by an organism known as clostridium botulinum.
The clostridium bugs are anaerobic organisms, meaning they thrive in oxygen-depleted locations. They form tough, durable spores which survive in soil and marine environments. When the spores multiply, they produce the most potent bacterial toxin known to man.
The sequence of events leading to the recent outbreak of the sometimes fatal illness among heroin users has now become clear. A batch of the drug became contaminated with dormant clostridium spores during the distribution process. When combined with citric juices and injected into muscle, the acid created small holes, or pockets in the muscle tissue. Because they were deep in the muscle, these pockets did not have access to oxygen. The perfect environment for the multiplication of clostridia was now in place.
Over a week or 10 days, the bacteria produced toxin, which eventually found its way into the rest of the victim's body. Highly toxic, it can cause organ failure, in particular, a failure of the respiratory system.
The anaerobic nature of the organism also explains why the illness appeared only in those unable to inject heroin into their veins. Blood is highly oxygenated and is therefore not conducive to the organism thriving.