LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Public health officials in Louisville are warning of a spike in heroin overdoses in the city.

According to WDRB-TV (http://bit.ly/2bHwJWA ), officials at Norton Hospital say there were at least 24 confirmed overdose cases in Louisville on Tuesday.

Dr. Robert Couch, an emergency physician at Norton, said at a news conference that he saw eight overdose patients within five hours.

He calls it a “public health emergency,” saying the heroin on the street seems to be unusually potent. He says patients taking what would usually be a small amount are losing consciousness.

Couch says larger doses of naloxone, a widely available overdose antidote that many first responders carry, are needed to reverse the drug’s effect.

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Information from: WDRB-TV, http://www.fox41.com