quote:


A drum-maker who inhaled anthrax spores while handling imported animal skins at his workshop has died in hospital.

Fernando Gomez, 35, from Hackney in east London, had been in the intensive care unit of Homerton University Hospital for more than a week.

A hospital spokesman confirmed he died from inhalation anthrax not cutaneous anthrax and said his family were with him when he died.

Seven other people have been given antibiotics as a precautionary measure.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said it was attempting to trace where the infected skins originated.

A hospital spokesman said his condition had deteriorated overnight and that he died on Sunday afternoon.