A flesh-eating drug originally discovered in Russia a decade ago has appeared in the United States.

Two cases involving the drug, called Krokodil, surfaced at the Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix recently, according to ABC News. Krokodil, Russian for "crocodile," is a cheap substitute for heroin, and is referred to by the name because it can cause sores, tissue damage and a rough, scale-like appearance on the skin.

When that facility warned others around the country, some revealed that they too had patients suffering from the side effects of the drug.

"This is up there as one of the craziest new trends I've seen," Dr. Frank LoVecchio, co-medical director at Banner Poison, Drug and Information Center said.

The drug is made up of several ingredients that can be found at home improvement stores and pharmacies. The base of the drug is usually pure codeine, extracted from its pill form and mixed with various chemicals which create a liquid substance that is injected into the veins.

"Some of the chemicals they've used are very dangerous," he said. "They've used things like hydrochloric acid. Some have used paint thinners, gasoline and other stuff that includes phosphorous."

The acidity of the chemicals, which can cause skin to burn off and die, makes the body more prone to infections.

"Once you start using the drug on a daily basis, you could die within two years," he said. "Other reports are that death is probably due to overwhelming infection. Your body can't fight the infection."

Leslie Bloom, the CEO of DrugFreeAZ.org says that despite the consequences of using the drug, the public should not be fearful of a major outbreak with the drug.

"We don't want the public to be alarmed," she said. "What we want them to be is aware that this is a trend."

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