AUSTIN, Texas — Texas officials are investigating an “outbreak” of opioid overdoses in Austin after emergency personnel responded to dozens of incidents from Monday to Wednesday, resulting in the suspected deaths of nine people.
Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services responded to a total of 75 overdose cases from Monday to Wednesday evening, EMS Division Chief Angela Carr said at a news conference Wednesday. The Travis County medical examiner’s office confirmed it is investigating nine cases as suspected overdose deaths, according to county spokesperson Hector Nieto.
Preliminary toxicology reports indicated the presence of fentanyl in nine cases, cocaine in eight and methamphetamine in three, Nieto told the American-Statesman, part of the USA TODAY Network. City officials initially convened Tuesday to provide information about the investigation of the suspected overdoses.
In what officials termed as the city’s deadliest overdose outbreak in nearly a decade, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services Assistant Chief Steve White said emergency responders received more than 50 overdose-related calls by Tuesday morning — an about 1,000% increase in overdose emergency calls in a day.