Pam writes:
>My husband works in a mailroom.  He and his coworkers have had direct
>contact with our local post office's work area which has tested positive
>for anthrax. <snip>
>We have a 3 year old male ferret.  Is there any way that anthrax could be
>transmissible to the ferret?  I am concerned that he may come into contact
>with dh's clothing which may contain the anthrax.
 
Dr Bruce Williams posted this on the Ferret Health List a week ago:
 
>Yes, ferrets can be infected by anthrax, but carnivores are considered
>to be fairly resistant hosts.
>
>What many people do not realize is that anthrax is not a new disease, and
>is seen occasionally in livestock (far less resistant to the disease) in
>the Southwest U.S., and in many other parts of the world.  The bacteium
>lives in the soil and there can be blooms of bacteria in areas with
>alkaline soik when draught is followed by a heavy rain or flooding.  The
>spores which the bacteria forms are extremely resistant to environmental
>conditions, and protects it during the dry periods.  Some spores can even
>live through the tanning process when infected animals are used to make
>leather (there have actually been outbreaks of cutaneous anthrax from
>imported bongo drums from the Caribbean years ago, believe it or not.)
>Cutaneous anthrax used to be common in people working with sheep -
>possibly the most sensitive host) and was called "woolsorter's disease).
>
>anthrax actually makes a very poor biological agent - it does not spread
>readily, it takes a tremendous amoutn of work to make a lethal concoction
>of it to get past the bodies defenses, and humans and ferrets are pretty
>resistant to its effects overall.
>
>I don't think that you have much to worry about here.
 
Our thoughts and prayers are with you, your husband and his colleagues.
 
Linda Iroff
Oberlin OH
[Posted in FML issue 3583]