The first confirmed case of Krokodil in the United States was observed a year ago, according to a new report.
Arizona may be the "epicenter" of the drug's possible uprising in the U.S., according to a story published on Saturday by AZ Family. But the cases in Arizona have not been confirmed.
In September, at least two possible cases of the drug were reported by Banner Good Samaritan Poison Control Center in Phoenix.
Other potential cases have appeared in Illinois, Ohio and Oklahoma, though, as the Daily Beast notes, confirmed cases are much harder to come by.
Physicians who spoke with the online news outlet said the more likely culprit for the flesh rotting symptoms are dirty needles that infect heroin users with HIV, Hepatitis and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. This can lead to "gangrenous skin, deep abscesses, and loss of limbs."
But, as Raw Story reported this week, two doctors from Missouri told the American Journal of Medicine that they treated a patient last year "whose skin was rotted away from using krokodil." That report marks the first official case of the drug making its way to America, according to KTVI.
“We saw that his finger fell off and we saw a severe looking ulcer and sores on his thigh and it did really fit the picture of krokodil,” Doctor Dany Thekkemuriyil said. “Our case is the first case that’s been published in a recognized medical journal.”
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