Adolescent Substance Abuse Articles
Heroin use may increase the risk of botulism
By Staff Writer
Botulism, a serious but rare disease, can be transmitted through wound infections, according to the World Health Organization. A recent study of injection drug users has found an increase in recurrent cases of the disease among these individuals in California.
In the state, cases of recurring wound botulism among injection drug users make up three-quarters of the reported cases in the U.S., according to the study.
The research, which appears in Clinical Infectious Diseases, analyzed 17 injection drug users that were identified by the California Department of Public Health for having recurrent wound botulism. From 1993 through 2006, 14 of these individuals had one recurrence of the disease while three had two episodes.
Of these drug users, 88 percent reported using black tar heroin. The botulism symptoms experienced by this group included acute paralysis, slurred speech and difficulty swallowing.
Based on these findings, researchers believe that clinicians and injection drug users should be aware of the risk of recurring wound botulism posed by repeated needle use. This increased awareness might lead to an early diagnosis and allow the afflicted user to receive medical treatment for the disease and substance abuse help for their addiction.
