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Chinese authorities announced on Friday that a bacteria escaped from a government laboratory and infected thousands of people.
It is the Brucella bacteria, for which more than 4,600 people have tested positive so far. Brucellosis causes fever, joint pain, and headaches, among other things. It is transmitted mainly through infected animals or dairy products. There is currently no evidence of person to person transmission, but in rare cases it cannot be ruled out.
Breakdown of vaccine production
According to health authorities, the bacteria comes from a state biopharmaceutical plant in the region around the city of Lanzhou, in the northwest of the country. Work is underway on veterinary vaccines. In July or August 2019, an expired disinfectant was used as part of the manufacture of a brucellosis vaccine.
As a result, not all the bacteria died, exited through the ventilation system, and spread to animals in the surrounding area. The agency said the facility’s license has been revoked and those infected will be compensated starting in October. In some cases, however, they still suffer the long-term effects of the disease for the rest of their lives.
