Man inhales anthrax from hides

2006-02-23 11:33

New York - A New York man has been hospitalised after accidentally inhaling anthrax from raw animal skins, city officials said on Wednesday, ruling out terrorism while reviving memories of anthrax attacks in 2001.

"At this time we have every reason to believe that this infection is an isolated, accidentally and naturally transmitted case. There's no evidence of terrorism here," said mayor Michael Bloomberg, where he was flanked by the city's top law enforcement and health officials.

In the months after the September 11 attacks in 2001, five people died and several others were sickened when anthrax was sent in letters to media and government offices in Washington, New York, Florida and elsewhere. Those cases have not been solved.

Officials in this case believe the 44-year-old man, a professional drummer, was infected by inhaling anthrax from untreated animal hides he brought back from Ivory Coast in December and used to make drums in his New York workshop.

After travelling to Pennsylvania, he became ill and sought medical attention last Thursday at a hospital, where he is in fair condition.

Safety precautions

Tests confirmed anthrax was the cause, Bloomberg said.

The man's home and workshop were sealed for decontamination, city officials said, and three co-workers in New York were being treated as a precaution, though they showed no symptoms.

Anthrax is spread by bacteria that can form hard, persistent spores and can cause three types of infections: skin, inhaled and gastrointestinal.

Inhaled anthrax infections are by far the most dangerous and must be treated immediately with antibiotics. The infection is easily cured if treated early enough and cannot be spread from person to person.

While anthrax grows naturally, it also can be used as a biological weapon.

"We all remember the instances of anthrax infection that took place in the autumn of 2001," Bloomberg said. "Since then, our law enforcement and public health officials have been aggressively and vigilantly trying to detect any subsequent appearance of anthrax in our city. We take anthrax very seriously."

- Reuters