Another Chinese research lab is in news for playing a role in infecting the public with brucellosis, a bacterial disease. More than 3,200 people have been diagnosed positive for this disease after it was allegedly leaked from this government-owned bio-pharma lab that makes vaccines in the Northwest part of the country.
The local health officials at Lanzhou explain that 3,245 people are currently infected with brucellosis which appears as fever, pain in the joints, and migraine. It is caused by having close contact with animals that are infected with it or through animal products carrying the bacterium.
1400 more people are suspected to be the patients of this disease, implying that it may also be transmitted through person to person. Although there is no clear evidence of Brucella being transmitted like this there is no other reason to explain its widespread in this city.
The role of state-owned bio-pharma plant is controversial for the fact that it was using a disinfectant which had passed its expiry date. This plant makes vaccines for Brucella for the infected animals. So people infected with Brucella imply that probably the bacterium as never completely removed from the residues and exhaust coming out of the plant. It resulted in infected thousands of people with this disease.
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The remains from exhaust pipes coming out of this “China Animal Husbandry Lanzhou Biopharmaceutical Factory” located in Lanzhou was creating aerosols. These aerosols contained the bacterium suggesting how it made it to the public in the first place. By the end of last year, it had already infected 200 people but the recent news on more people infected show that this infection hasn’t controlled yet.
20 people attending Lanzhou University, who had close contact with the plant are also infected. It includes both faculty members as well as students. The health commission of Lanzhou told the press that animals such as sheep, pigs, and even cattle are helping in the spread of this disease.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that it is very rare for this disease to be transmitted from one person to another person. But it doesn’t mean that it is not possible. Sometimes even after the recovery, the disease never completely goes away and the infected person still remains a viable source to infect more people.
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The complications of brucellosis include high fever, stress, inflammation, body pain, headache, migraine, and even arthritis. The bio-pharma plant has already apologized to the public at the start of this year for this pathogenic spill. The government has also revoked the vaccine production license for this company.
The pharma company has also planned to compensate people affected by this negligence. As per reports, this compensation plan may start from October and will proceed in badges.
