come snap me out of BU re MIL gift

[LadyRainicorn]

She's just delivered an animal skin drum as a gift from her holidays from south africa. I'm genuinely starting to freak out about anthrax spores. Please tell me IABU and why.

Are anthrax spores generally a problem in tanned hide? (off to google)

Totally irrational I'm afraid.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthrax

eh?

I'm fairly sure that, if it is animal skin and not synthetic (most drums are), it will have had to be a certain standard to go through customs. Customs are super careful with genuine animal products. It'll be tanned to hell, the likelihood of any nasties is very very low.

I'm not sure it is tanned - it's very stiff and still has hair on.

Not sure I can ask about customs without causing offence

That is tanned hide.

www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/Anthrax/GeneralInformation/anthr040Riskofanthraxfromdrums/

Look, if you don't like or want it or think it has the ebola virus/bubonic plague/anthrax/bird flu then burn it.

Last time I heard, South African people were not dropping like flies from Anthrax.

Anthrax? Why?

Random fear.....

Why do you think it may have anthrax?

It is? Genuinely? sorry, dunno why having sudden case of heebie jeebies (not completely mad though - at least this is something that has actually happened to someone) and need talking down.

Without interrogating lovely MIL and making her feel bad - hence braving AIBU!

Someone died from anthrax in Edinburgh a few years ago. Spores were found on his animal skin drum.

It's a rather famous case in some circles

And why Anthrax? US and UK sites report the risk to be very low in imported skins and souvenirs.

Wouldn't ebola be more scary at the moment?

Sorry, that was probably extremely thoughtless of me, but ebola doesn't spread that way!

itsnotatest I knew about that but... LALALALA I CANT HEAR YOU. lets go back to 'op, stop being an irrational tosspot'

Well, anthrax is endemic in south africa, and I didn't think my mil was anywhere near the ebola outbreak? Plus she'd be dead....

I remember that, the Edinburgh man was a drum maker, he prepared the skins and made the drums, which gave him far more contact with the untanned hides...Googling...

OMG! I found the case you meant, man took a class and died!

Eeek! That was in 2008 though!

Just put a mug of water next to it in the microwave and nuke it on high for a bit.

It won't fit in the microwave and the kids have been happily banging on it all afternoon.

Shit.

some nest of vipers you are, where's my flaming for my random paranoia?

Did your MIL have to declare it when she came back with it? I think it's a hideous present personally!

I have no idea and can't ask without sounding like a dick.

Plus she's the type to have sneaked it past because she'd think they were being silly.

How do I tell if a skin is tanned rather than dried?

There was Scottish drummer from the Borders who died in 2006, I think he also made drums
And a guy died in London 2008 again he played and made drums.
From what I remember it is the making of the drums that is the risk.

From 1981 -2009 in England and Wales there were 21 reported cases overall, out of that there was one death
www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/InfectiousDiseases/InfectionsAZ/Anthrax/EpidemiologicalData/

So the risk to your kids is minimal I would think.

I hope it's not from an endangered species then! I would bin it.