A woman living in Strafford County has been infected with a rare case of gastrointestinal anthrax, and authorities believe the source may have been African drums made with animal hides. The woman participated in a community drum circle at the Waysmeet Center in Durham, the United Campus Ministry for the University of New Hampshire, in the fall. She is in critical condition.

Anthrax is not contagious and the public threat is minimal, but state officials encourage owners of African drums who attended drum circles at the Waysmeet Center between October and early December to contact the Department of Health and Human Services at 603-271-4496. Two drums stored at the Waysmeet Center tested positive for anthrax, but they have not been determined as the source of the infection.

“We want to assure the public that we are doing everything we can to find the source,” said DHHS commissioner Nicholas Toumpas.

There have only been 11 cases of naturally occurring anthrax in the United States since 1957. The last anthrax cases to occur in New Hampshire came in 1957 at a textile mill in Manchester. Recent cases in New York and Connecticut were related to animal hides. For more information, visit www.dhhs.nh.gov.