U.S. Reports 1st Human Anthrax Case Since 1984
Federal health officials have reported the nation’s first case of human anthrax since 1984 and say it apparently started with contaminated cashmere at a textile plant.
A 42-year-old maintenance man at the North Carolina textile mill became ill in July, 1987, with a small red lesion on his arm, and developed pain, fever and chills over the following week, the Centers for Disease Control said last week.
Only nine other human anthrax cases have occurred in the United States in the last decade, the CDC said.
Vaccination programs were recommended for workers at the North Carolina plant and at a Texas plant where the cashmere was washed, said the CDC, which, as is its custom, did not identify the locations involved.
The patient recovered.
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