"2 suspected cases from botulism from "black tar" heroin" (Local News Seattle)

yucatanboy2

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"2 suspected cases from botulism from "black tar" heroin" (Local News Seattle)

Here's the link:
http://www.king5.com/health/2-suspected-cases-from-botulism-from-black-tar-heroin-129834043.html

Here's the text from the story:
2 suspected cases from botulism from 'black tar' heroin

by KING 5 News

Posted on September 14, 2011 at 2:09 PM

Updated today at 2:09 PM

SEATTLE -- Seattle and King County health officials are investigating two cases of suspected botulism in residents who may have been infected by injecting contaminated "black tar" heroin.

The first case was an adult female with a history of using "black tar" heroin. She was treated at a hospital in August and showed symptoms of slurred speech, double vision and drooping eyelids. About a week later, an adult male with a similar history of "black tar" heroin use was treated with similar symptoms.

In both cases, their conditions worsened and they had to be admitted to an intensive care unit.

Botulism is suspected in both cases; Washington State Public Health Laboratory are conducting tests to confirm the diagnosis.

Botulism-producing bacteria can contaminate "black tar" heroin, and injection drug users can develop botulism after injecting even if infected wounds aren't apparent.

Botulism can also be transmitted by consuming food that's contaminated with toxin-producing bacteria or their spores.

For more information, go to the Public Health - Seattle and King County website.
 
And for that matter, I would have thought that cooking the shot would kill the bacteria.
 
^according to the CDC, botulism is killed by heating a substance to 85 Celsius for five minutes

(on a side note, I once tried to sterilize some heroin in a toaster oven [dry, between glass panes, just above the melting point] and there were fumes all of a sudden and I thought I had anesthetized my apartment building)
 
Ahh ok that would explain it.

It still blows my mind that people inject tar heroin without a micron filter.
 
Crankinit said:
Ahh ok that would explain it.

It still blows my mind that people inject tar heroin without a micron filter.
Click to expand...

Most people have never even heard of a micron filter. Everyone I know that injects learned it from someone else that learned from someone else repeat ad naseum. Very few people use correct injection practices or know shit about harm reduction I have seen people take enormous risks without even realizing its risky. i am sure to most people who do shoot tar would never even consider botulism as a possibility. Its really a tragic situation even if they used perfect technique and maintained sterility they where still fucked.

My other question is why only 2 people seems like if the dopes contaminated then alot of people should be affected.
 
The issue with botulism is that once you have botulism growing on something it's essentially ruined. Botulism is derived from an old latin term for sausages because it was often seen in sausage meat. Even though you can grill a sausage til it's super hot in the middle, if the sausage was inoculated and left alone so botulism can grow, botulism toxin that the bacteria produce will still remain.

The same thing is happening here. Someone contaminated the heroin with botulism and now there's not only bacteria but likely bacterial toxins that are impossible to remove.

Micron filters are definitely good but they don't make things totally safe.
 
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