Lake Zurich Man’s Death Linked to Powerful Opioid Never Seen Before in Cook Co.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office has confirmed two recent deaths due to powerful opioids never before seen in Cook County.

A 46-year-old Chicago man died on Sept. 10 from a lethal combination of fentanyl analogs, which are not pharmaceutical-grade drugs like those administered by medical professionals for severe pain, according to a news release.

Toxicology testing found the man had the fentanyl analog carfentanil in his system. Carfentanil is a fentanyl analog that is 10,000 times more potent than morphine, which is the active component of heroin. Carfentanil is used in veterinary practices to immobilize large animals.

"Carfentanil is an elephant tranquilizer. It is not a drug that humans should be ingesting. These high-potency opioids and opioid analogs are thousands of times stronger than street opioids like heroin and are far more likely to cause death," said Dr. Steve Aks, emergency medicine physician and toxicologist at Cook County Health & Hospitals System's Stroger Hospital.

In addition, the office has confirmed a 35-year-old Lake Zurich man died June 8 from a 3-Methylfentanyl overdose. 3-Methylfentanyl is also a fentanyl analog and it is four times more potent than morphine, according to a news release.

These cases represent the first deaths in Cook County from those specific fentanyl analogs; however, the office this year has seen a marked increase in deaths from fentanyl and other fentanyl analogs.

"Fentanyl and fentanyl analogues, like carfentanil, are very powerful drugs that are likely to be lethal," said Cook County’s Chief Medical Examiner Ponni Arunkumar. “Just one dose can easily stop a person from breathing, causing immediate death."

In 2016, 380 deaths were caused, at least in part, by fentanyl or fentanyl analogs. The data for 2016 is not a real time number, as toxicology testing can take up to 90 days. In 2015, the office found 102 deaths were caused, at least in part, by fentanyl or fentanyl analogs. In 2014, 20 deaths were attributed to fentanyl, according to the Medical Examiner's Office.

The most common fentanyl analogs in Cook County include furanyl fentanyl and a precursor/metabolite of fentanyl called despropionyl fentanyl or 4-ANPP, according to the news release.

The Medical Examiner's Office began routinely testing for fentanyl starting in June 2015 after national trends showed a spike in fentanyl use. Previously, the office tested for fentanyl at the discretion of the pathologist.

Often, testing was done due to the circumstance of the case; for example, if an unknown substance was found with a decedent, according to the news release.

Toxicology tests show decedents have used fentanyl alone, with heroin and with other drugs, such as cocaine.