Another outbreak in China has sparked a wave of concern among authorities after thousands of people
in the northern part of the country tested positive for a bacterial infection. The infection spread among
people working in a state-owned biopharmaceutical plant in Lanzhou city, which produces animal
vaccines after a leak occurred last year.
Brucellosis, caused by brucella bacteria, is often caused by close contact with infected animals or animal
products that can bring about fevers, joint pain and headaches. The bacteria can enter the body through
open wounds or mucous membranes. Health authorities have said there has been no evidence of
person-to-person transmission of Brucellosis so far. According to the CDC, while person-to-person
transmission of brucellosis is “extremely rare”, some symptoms may reoccur or never go away.
Transmission of the disease may also occur via tissue transplantation or blood transfusions.
This infection outbreak, like other such as the coronavirus disease, has also traced its origin to animals.
Sheep, cattle and pigs were most commonly involved in the spread of the bacteria, Lanzhou’s health
commission has said. I
n this infection, some symptoms like recurrent fevers, chronic fatigue, swelling of the heart or arthritis
are expected to never go away and reoccur in patients who have tested positive, according to the US’
CDC.
According to some reports, it can also have the side effect of inflamed testicles and can render some
men infertile.
Brucellosis also goes by the name of Malta fever or Mediterranean fever and can cause symptoms
including headaches, muscle pain, fever and fatigue. While some people may get few or no symptoms,
for others it can drag on for months.
In China, the long-lasting malaise caused by brucellosis means sufferers may be unable to work, leading
it to be dubbed the “lazy man’s disease”.
Initially a small number of people were thought to be infected, but testing of 21,000 people has showed
the number infections to be much higher. No deaths have so far been reported.
