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]