Anthrax Case Linked to Drumming Circle, New Hampshire Officials Say
New York Times ^ | December 30, 2009 | Amy Goodnough
Posted on Wed Dec 30 2009 22:13:57 GMT+0300 (Arab Standard Time) by La Lydia
BOSTON — A New Hampshire woman who is critically ill with gastrointestinal anthrax most likely swallowed spores while participating in a community drumming circle, state health officials said Tuesday...The woman was among some 60 people who attended the drumming session on Dec. 4 at the United Campus Ministry near the University of New Hampshire in Durham...Investigators found traces of anthrax on two African drums and an electrical outlet in the room where the event took place, Dr. Talbot said, and are theorizing that the woman swallowed spores that were aerosolized by the drumming. The state has not identified the woman because of privacy concerns.
Dr. Talbot said the anthrax detected on the drums was a naturally occurring strain that frequently appears in soil. Animals that ingest contaminated soil can pass the disease to people who handle their hides. Most of the drums at the session were made with animal hides, she said...
The ministry advertised the Dec. 4 event on its Web site as a drum circle and pasta supper. Julie Corey, a drumming teacher who led the session, said the victim had danced that night instead of drumming. “She was the first to get up and dance,” Ms. Corey recalled, adding that she thought the woman was a graduate student at another college. “She’s a vital young woman, from what I’ve seen of her — a strong-spirited person.”...
In 2007, two people in Connecticut were treated for cutaneous anthrax traced to animal hides used to make African drums. And in 2006, a drum maker in New York contracted inhalation anthrax. All three survived...
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