This is a potential issue....I first heard about it several months ago...a djembe maker in NYC contracted the disease..but I thought he was making good progress... I have been told that the spores can be carried in the dust that can be found in some shipments... Remember, the best skins are quite raw...no processing at all...nailed to a fence and dried..then sent over in bulk, usually in a large roll or folded in half in a large box. I guess those of us who are making bodhrans..or indeed any type of drum from this kind of material should make our own enquiries as to how we can avoid any possibility of infection. Perhaps this forum can be the way to inform those who are interested. My own simple system is to wear a mask and soak the skins in my bath tub with a small amount of bleach..that also helps take care of the pong .... Any info from the medical field would be most welcome... Peter Sumner Los Altos California
|