Danbury, CT – The Anthrax-tainted Animal Skins Purchased In NYC.

Danbury, CT – The anthrax-tainted animal skins that sickened two people in Danbury, Conn., this summer were purchased from a street vendor in New York City, a spokeswoman for the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection said today.

Investigators are now trying to determine if any other animal skins sold by the New York vendor were contaminated with anthrax.

The two Connecticut patients, one a well-known local drummer and the other his relative, are believed to have contracted cutaneous anthrax earlier this summer after coming in contact with the untreated hides, which had been imported from western Africa for use in building drums.

Anthrax spores were also found on the property where the two people worked. The patients have been treated and are now recovering. [nytimesblog]