Giuseppe
Emeritus
ANTHRAX, HUMAN - UK (02): PNEUMONIC, CONFIRMATION [ProMedMail.org]
ANTHRAX, HUMAN - UK (02): PNEUMONIC, CONFIRMATION
*************************************************
A ProMED-mail post <http: org="">
ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http: org="">[1] Date: Mon 27 Oct 2008 Source: Hackney Gazette [edited] <http: uk="" content="" hackney="" gazette="" news="" brand="HKYGOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newshkyg&itemid=WeED27%20Oct%202008%2016%3A06%3A43%3A180">
A man is being treated for inhalation of anthrax in intensive care at Homerton Hospital after contracting the rare illness from making drums from animal skins.
Health chiefs insist that terrorism is not involved and that there is no risk to the public.
The man who is believed to be a Spanish musician is said to be 'critical but stable' and has been at the hospital for a week.
--
Communicated by: Bengu Said Senior Scientist Emerging Infections and Zoonoses Health Protection Agency - Centre for Infections 6 Colindale Avenue London NW9 5EQ United Kingdom <bengu.said@hpa.org.uk>
[Our thanks to Bengu for his informed confirmation on Monday (27 Oct 2008) and his follow up on 28 Oct 2008 with the link to this local report. The patient is a musician who made drums using imported animal skins. Hackney is a London borough in the east of London, and possibly where he was living. - Mod.MHJ]
******
[2] Date: Tue 28 Oct 2008 From: Nigel Lightfoot <nigel.lightfoot@hpa.org.uk>
I am now chief advisor to the CEO at the Health Protection Agency and I am dealing with the incident as Director on Call. All the details of the case are on the HPA [Health Protection Agency] website and we were amused to find that PROMED-mail did not put it up until it had been confirmed by the media. This to me seems the wrong way round. It is a confirmed case related to drum making using imported animal skins but it did give us a fright when we first heard about it on Friday [24 Oct 2008]. We posted a press statement on our website on Saturday morning [25 Oct 2008] and sent it to the Press Association for onward distribution to the media. We were also surprised that the media were not interested and so far we have only had enquiries from the local newspaper [see above].
--
Prof. Nigel Lightfoot Chief Advisor to CEO & Head of Influenza Programme Health Protection Agency United Kingdom <nigel.lightfoot@hpa.org.uk>
[And our thanks to Nigel -- my students are convinced I know everybody. It's not quite true. Some background: Here at ProMED we are a significant target for those putting out disinformation, quite apart from routine misinformation. It is not infrequent. This report arrived with us promptly on Sat 25th Oct 2008, but without any echoes. The London press was silent as was the BBC. The sophistication of phishing scams is so high these days it just seemed too good a report and thus a possible hoax, and I hadn't twigged that this Nigel was that 'Nigel' of the press release. Plus the latter was a Professor! I could not get into my office to post it until after Mass on Sunday morning, 26 Oct 2008, as the campus was shut down all Saturday because of the football game -- we lost embarrassingly badly to Georgia. After rechecking the London Sunday newspapers, still silent, I posted the report with the cautionary comment. In the meanwhile we were contacting many in southern England who might know for confirmation. We cannot say we never make mistakes but we try to keep it to a minimum. - Mod.MHJ]
[see also:
Anthrax, human - UK: pneumonic, RFI 20081026.3387]
...................................mhj/mj/dk
-
</nigel.lightfoot@hpa.org.uk></nigel.lightfoot@hpa.org.uk></bengu.said@hpa.org.uk></http:></http:></http:>
<cite cite="http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn/f?p=2400:1001:4198533108419946::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,74548">http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn/f?p=..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,74548</cite>*************************************************
A ProMED-mail post <http: org="">
ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http: org="">[1] Date: Mon 27 Oct 2008 Source: Hackney Gazette [edited] <http: uk="" content="" hackney="" gazette="" news="" brand="HKYGOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=newshkyg&itemid=WeED27%20Oct%202008%2016%3A06%3A43%3A180">
A man is being treated for inhalation of anthrax in intensive care at Homerton Hospital after contracting the rare illness from making drums from animal skins.
Health chiefs insist that terrorism is not involved and that there is no risk to the public.
The man who is believed to be a Spanish musician is said to be 'critical but stable' and has been at the hospital for a week.
--
Communicated by: Bengu Said Senior Scientist Emerging Infections and Zoonoses Health Protection Agency - Centre for Infections 6 Colindale Avenue London NW9 5EQ United Kingdom <bengu.said@hpa.org.uk>
[Our thanks to Bengu for his informed confirmation on Monday (27 Oct 2008) and his follow up on 28 Oct 2008 with the link to this local report. The patient is a musician who made drums using imported animal skins. Hackney is a London borough in the east of London, and possibly where he was living. - Mod.MHJ]
******
[2] Date: Tue 28 Oct 2008 From: Nigel Lightfoot <nigel.lightfoot@hpa.org.uk>
I am now chief advisor to the CEO at the Health Protection Agency and I am dealing with the incident as Director on Call. All the details of the case are on the HPA [Health Protection Agency] website and we were amused to find that PROMED-mail did not put it up until it had been confirmed by the media. This to me seems the wrong way round. It is a confirmed case related to drum making using imported animal skins but it did give us a fright when we first heard about it on Friday [24 Oct 2008]. We posted a press statement on our website on Saturday morning [25 Oct 2008] and sent it to the Press Association for onward distribution to the media. We were also surprised that the media were not interested and so far we have only had enquiries from the local newspaper [see above].
--
Prof. Nigel Lightfoot Chief Advisor to CEO & Head of Influenza Programme Health Protection Agency United Kingdom <nigel.lightfoot@hpa.org.uk>
[And our thanks to Nigel -- my students are convinced I know everybody. It's not quite true. Some background: Here at ProMED we are a significant target for those putting out disinformation, quite apart from routine misinformation. It is not infrequent. This report arrived with us promptly on Sat 25th Oct 2008, but without any echoes. The London press was silent as was the BBC. The sophistication of phishing scams is so high these days it just seemed too good a report and thus a possible hoax, and I hadn't twigged that this Nigel was that 'Nigel' of the press release. Plus the latter was a Professor! I could not get into my office to post it until after Mass on Sunday morning, 26 Oct 2008, as the campus was shut down all Saturday because of the football game -- we lost embarrassingly badly to Georgia. After rechecking the London Sunday newspapers, still silent, I posted the report with the cautionary comment. In the meanwhile we were contacting many in southern England who might know for confirmation. We cannot say we never make mistakes but we try to keep it to a minimum. - Mod.MHJ]
[see also:
Anthrax, human - UK: pneumonic, RFI 20081026.3387]
...................................mhj/mj/dk
-
</nigel.lightfoot@hpa.org.uk></nigel.lightfoot@hpa.org.uk></bengu.said@hpa.org.uk></http:></http:></http:>