A patient at Homerton Hospital has been confirmed as having inhalation anthrax.
As the condition is not contagious, there is no risk to either other patients or staff.
Tests carried out by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) confirmed the patient's condition on Friday evening. The patient is being treated in the hospital's intensive care unit and is said to be critical but stable.
Anthrax is a disease cased by spores that live in the environment. It can cause a skin infection (cutaneous anthrax) or as in this case, inhalation anthrax, when the spores are inhaled into the lungs. Inhalation anthrax is very rare and can not be passed from person to person.
The hospital is working closely with experts from the Health Protection Agency. More details about the condition and the patient's background can be found on the HPA website: hpa.
Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust