Scottish man dies of Anthrax
Wednesday, 16 Aug 2006 18:15
First death of anthrax in Scotland for 20 years confirmed
Health In Focus
Click here to find out how to avoid disease and keep your kitchen hygienic, on inthenews.co.uk. Full Story
A 50-year-old man's death in the Scottish Borders in July this year was due to anthrax, medical authorities have confirmed.
The case is the first death from the disease in Scotland for almost 20 years.
After becoming ill in early June the man was treated at Edinburgh's Royal Infirmary but subsequently died after the "short illness" on July 8th.
Health Protection Scotland said that tests conducted at specialist laboratories in England found that anthrax was the cause of his septicaemia.
An incident control team has since been set up by NHS Borders and the man's home, Black Lodge in Stobs near Hawick, has been sealed off while investigations establish whether there is any risk of anthrax spores in the environment.
NHS Borders is tracing the man's relatives and other individuals who would have come into contact with his building in order to assess their risk of infection.
There is said to be a negligible risk to members of the public as well as to the individuals who came into contact with the man, either locally at Borders general hospital or at the Royal Infirmary.
The disease, which generally presents itself as a skin infection, is not passed from person-to-person.
Concerned people who visited the house in July have been advised to contact NHS Borders.
It is thought that the man acquired anthrax after working with untreated animal hides, a known risk factor for the disease.
Anthrax is a very rare disease and the last confirmed case in Scotland was in 1987.