Latest anthrax victim is Irish-American

The latest victim of the American anthrax scare is an Irish-American journalist Erin O'Connor.

The 38-year-old NBC journalist is a niece of Kerry All-Ireland winner Tom O'Connor from the forties and has relations still living in Dingle.

Ms O'Connor is being treated for the disease in a New York hospital and is expected to recover from the illness, which has claimed one life in the US already.

The journalist is said to be doing well after having anthrax confirmed early today following a skin test and being treated with antibiotics for the last 10 days.

She is thought to have opened an envelope on September 25 addressed to Tom Brokaw, presenter of the network’s Nightly News, which contained a threatening letter and a white ‘‘talcum-like’’ substance.

Within days she had an irritating and ulcerous rash with a black scab and was given powerful antibiotics, while doctors today concluded it was cutaneous - or skin-transmitted - anthrax, whereas the cases in Florida have been pulmonary - or inhaled - anthrax.