Man caught anthrax from drum skin

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

An inquiry into a man's death from anthrax has concluded that "on balance of probabilities" he contracted it from playing or handling West African drums.

Christopher Norris, of Stobs, near Hawick in the Scottish Borders died from the disease in July last year.

A report by NHS Borders said it was the first case of "inhalation anthrax" in the UK for more than a century.
...
He said that while there had been cases of anthrax in other parts of the world associated with contact with West African drums this was the only one recorded in the UK.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/7140943.stm

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That's bizarre. That's an occupational hazard you'd never think of.

[Drum]

1. ...

:scared:

[kestrel91316]

2. This is one reason why USDA has such strict rules about importation

of animal products from certain countries.

We have anthrax in cattle in the US, but it's very sporadic. And IIRC if they get it, they have to be burned and buried, not slaughtered and the spare parts sold (leather, etc).

http://extension.missouri.edu/cemp/topics/Anthrax.html

[XemaSab]

14. I know someone who got skin anthrax

doing soil sampling out near Modesto. :scared:

[Bitwit1234]

3. You hear that a lot...remember that it comes from animals

and even some leather coats not processed in the US and more industrial countries can have anthrax. Even in some rugs and throws.

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Vaguely reminds me of a Joyce Carol Oates novel I read years ago

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

6. How has the UK managed to keep it's inhalation cases so low?

I think the last naturally occurring inhalation case in the US was in the early 1970's. Not to imply that they're common in the US either, we've had less than 20 naturally occurring cases in the past 100 years.

[sam sarrha]

12. maybe they wax their drums there more than here. UK is a more damp country

.. when i lived in the very very humid south i used a Carnuba wax rock, you rub the resin block, it is quite hard, with a sock hard enough to create enough friction melt the wax onto the sock then rub the drum head and melt a very thin coating onto the head.

i used to make spinning wheels, looms and instruments.. i loved the hand rubbed carnuba wax finish over a danish wood oil or even better..teak oil oil

[mcscajun]

7. Damn!

Beating on anthrax-laden animal skins would stir up SOME serious cloud of spores. DAMNATION.

[Javaman]

8. Why do drums hate the Scotts? nt

[Bonhomme Richard]

9. It happened in Danbury, CT a couple of months ago.

The guy was all right but they were decontaminating his house for quite a while. He was making African drums.

[sam sarrha]

13. i get my goat skins from mideast.com. since i lost my left hand i might have a lot of drums for sale

[Tuttle]

16. I heard they were fumigating there today

but with the storm, who knows?

Tut-tut

[aquart]

10. What is this? The third case of this?

[JBoy]

11. Just curious - what's the incubation period?

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/04/26/bush2_narrowweb__300x412,0.jpg

[XemaSab]

15. Good call...

:D