Scotland Eyes Anthrax In Man's Death

A man is believed to have died from anthrax in Scotland's first case of the disease in nearly 20 years, health officials said Wednesday.

The 50-year-old died in July and later investigations showed anthrax appeared to have caused his fatal infection, the officials said. His home in the town of Hawick, near the English border, has been sealed off, and health workers are checking whether any anthrax spores are present, said Health Protection Scotland, the public health agency.

The man worked with untreated animal hides, which can carry the disease, and may have contracted it by inhaling spores, the agency said in a statement. He died July 8 in an Edinburgh hospital, and lab tests identified anthrax as the likely cause of his fatal septicemia infection, the statement said.

Anthrax commonly occurs in cattle, sheep and goats and can be transmitted to humans when they are in contact with infected animals.

Health Protection Scotland said it could not be passed from person to person and there was little risk to anyone who came into contact with the man during his illness. It did not release his name.

Health officials are tracing the dead man's relatives and any other individuals who might have had access to his home to assess them for risk of infection. They are asking anyone who visited after July 17 to contact them.

"There is no reason to think that the members of the general public are at any risk," the agency said in a statement.

The last confirmed case of anthrax in Scotland was in 1987. The victim, a young girl, recovered.