Over 10,000 Positive Diagnoses of Brucellosis in China

Brucellosis Outbreak Caused by Negligence at Chinese Vaccine Factory
1,604 People Treated Including Outpatient Care So Far

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] In Gansu Province, China, the number of people who tested positive in a Brucellosis outbreak caused by negligence at a vaccine production plant has exceeded 10,000.

According to Chinese media including People's Daily and Global Times on the 4th, the Lanzhou authorities in Gansu Province held a press conference the day before and announced that as of the 30th of last month, antibody tests were conducted on about 68,000 people, with 10,528 testing positive.

The authorities previously reported that as of mid-September, a cumulative total of 3,245 people tested positive, and by early November, the cumulative total was 6,620.

Since then, the number has increased as the testing scope expanded to include not only residents and workers but also people who stayed or worked temporarily in the affected areas during the leakage period.

This incident occurred when Zhongmu Lanzhou Biological Pharmaceutical Plant used expired disinfectants during the production of animal Brucellosis vaccines from July to August last year.

Waste containing Brucella bacteria was not properly sterilized and spread outside in aerosol form, entering the body through inhalation or mucous membrane contact carried by the wind.

Brucellosis, a zoonotic infectious disease, causes symptoms such as fever, excessive sweating, joint pain, and fatigue, and can also affect the reproductive organs.

So far, 1,604 people have received hospital treatment, including 1,566 outpatients and 38 inpatients. Two patients are still hospitalized. The plant involved in the accident has been shut down since December 7 of last year. Eight responsible persons have been punished with administrative warnings and other penalties.