Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link Skip directly to A-Z link Skip directly to A-Z link
Volume 20, Number 2—February 2014
Letter

Injectional Anthrax in Heroin Users, Europe, 2000–2012

Matthias Hanczaruk, Udo Reischl, Thomas Holzmann, Dimitrios Frangoulidis, David M. Wagner, Paul S. Keim, Markus H. Antwerpen, Hermann Meyer, and Gregor GrassComments to Author 
Author affiliations: Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, Munich, Germany (M. Hanczaruk, D. Frangoulidis, M.H. Antwerpen, H. Meyer, G. Grass); University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany (U. Reischl, T. Holzmann); Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA (D. Wagner, P.S. Keim)

Main Article

Figure

Diagram of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assays used for bioforensic genotyping of heroin-associated Bacillus anthracis strains. Shown are the results of PCR-based SNP assays performed to elucidate the phylogenetic position of strains. Indicated at the top of the column is the whole strain pool of B. anthracis genotype A.Br. 008/011; the vertical black line indicates the assays in a direction of revealing increasing proximity to the heroin-associated strains. SNPs common to those of some

Figure. . Diagram of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assays used for bioforensic genotyping of heroin-associated Bacillus anthracis strains. Shown are the results of PCR-based SNP assays performed to elucidate the phylogenetic position of strains. Indicated at the top of the column is the whole strain pool of B. anthracis genotype A.Br. 008/011; the vertical black line indicates the assays in a direction of revealing increasing proximity to the heroin-associated strains. SNPs common to those of some strains from Turkey (2) are shown in light gray, and SNPs unique for the heroin-associated strains (2), including the isolate of 2000 from Norway, are depicted in dark gray (SNP designations and alleles are indicated).

Main Article

References
  1. Health Protection Scotland. An outbreak of anthrax among drug users in Scotland, December 2009 to December 2010. A report on behalf of the national Anthrax Outbreak Control Team. 2011 [cited 2013 Aug 20]. http://www.documents.hps.scot.nhs.uk/giz/anthrax-outbreak/anthrax-outbreak-report-2011-12.pdf
  2. Price  EP, Seymour  ML, Sarovich  DS, Latham  J, Wolken  SR, Mason  J, The molecular epidemiologic investigation of an anthrax outbreak in European heroin users. Emerg Infect Dis. 2012;18:1307–13. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  3. Ringertz  SH, Hoiby  EA, Jensenius  M, Maehlen  J, Caugant  DA, Myklebust  A, Injectional anthrax in a heroin skin-popper. Lancet. 2000;356:1574–5. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  4. Van Ert  MN, Easterday  WR, Huynh  LY, Okinaka  RT, Hugh-Jones  ME, Ravel  J, Global genetic population structure of Bacillus anthracis. PLoS ONE. 2007;2:e461. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  5. Holzmann  T, Frangoulidis  D, Simon  M, Noll  P, Schmoldt  S, Hanczaruk  M, Fatal anthrax infection in a heroin user from southern Germany, June 2012. Euro Surveill. 2012;17:20204.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  6. Rückert  C, Licht  K, Kalinowski  J, Espirito Santo  C, Antwerpen  M, Hanczaruk  M, Draft genome sequence of Bacillus anthracis UR-1, isolated from a German heroin user. J Bacteriol. 2012;194:5997–8. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  7. Grunow  R, Klee  SR, Beyer  W, George  M, Grunow  D, Barduhn  A, Anthrax among heroin users in Europe possibly caused by same Bacillus anthracis strain since 2000. Euro Surveill. 2013;18:20204 .PubMedGoogle Scholar
  8. Antwerpen  MH, Zimmermann  P, Bewley  K, Frangoulidis  D, Meyer  H. Real-time PCR system targeting a chromosomal marker specific for Bacillus anthracis. Mol Cell Probes. 2008;22:313–5. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  9. Ellerbrok  H, Nattermann  H, Ozel  M, Beutin  L, Appel  B, Pauli  G. Rapid and sensitive identification of pathogenic and apathogenic Bacillus anthracis by real-time PCR. FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2002;214:51–9. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar
  10. Price  EP, Seymour  ML, Sarovich  DS, Latham  J, Wolken  SR, Mason  J, Molecular epidemiologic investigation of an anthrax outbreak among heroin users, Europe. Emerg Infect Dis. 2012;18:1307–13. DOIPubMedGoogle Scholar

Main Article

Page created: January 16, 2014
Page updated: January 16, 2014
Page reviewed: January 16, 2014
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
file_external