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2009-12-27 14:55:27 - Biological Hazard - USA EDIS CODE: BH-20091227-24331-USA
Date & Time: 2009-12-27 14:55:27 [UTC]
Area: USA, State of New Hampshire, , Concord Number of Infected person(s): 1
Not confirmed information! Description: A New Hampshire woman diagnosed with a form of anthrax recently attended a drumming circle event, and authorities are asking other owners of African drums to consider having their drums tested for the naturally occurring spores. The woman from Strafford County became ill in early December and was in critical condition Saturday, state public health director Dr. Jose Montero said. She has been diagnosed with gastrointestinal anthrax. Montero's office was notified Thursday by health officials in Massachusetts, where the woman had been transferred. Anthrax is a potentially fatal disease caused by bacteria. There are three types of infection: inhalation affecting the lungs, cutaneous affecting the skin and gastrointestinal affecting the digestive tract. Infection from natural sources such as animal skins and contaminated meat is rare in developed countries, but occurs regularly in poor nations. Montero said authorities are exploring a possible link to African drums because two of the most recent U.S. cases involved drums. In 2007, two members of a Connecticut family were treated in 2007 for cutaneous anthrax traced to animal hides used to make African drums. In 2006, a New York dancer and drum maker recovered from the first case of naturally occurring inhalation anthrax in the United States since 1976. Montero said the New Hampshire woman has an African drum and attended a drum circle event at the United Campus Ministry at the University of New Hampshire. Though the risk of anthrax is very low, public health officials are asking other drum owners who attended the events held between October and December to contact them. Drums belonging to the campus ministry group also are being tested, Montero said. He emphasized that anthrax is not transmitted from person to person and the public is not at risk. The last cases of anthrax in New Hampshire were in 1957 when there were nine cases — four cutaneous and five inhalation — in employees of a textile mill in Manchester. Since then, there have been 11 cases of naturally occurring anthrax in the United States. In 2001, letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to journalists and two U.S. senators. At least four people, including two postal workers and a photo editor, died from exposure to those letters, and more than a dozen others became ill.
The name of Hazard: Anthrax
Species: Human
Status: Confirmed
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