LANZHOU: The Health Commission, Lanzhou, North Eastern China, has confirmed that around 3,200 people have been infected by a bacterial disease named Brucellosis. This disease is linked to an outbreak caused by a leak in a bio-pharmaceutical company in China last year. In December 2019, an investigation was done on the leak of Zhongmu Lanzhou biological pharmaceutical factory. It showed that the factory was using expired sanitisers and disinfectants in the preparation of Brucella vaccine. The contaminated waste gas became aerosols and was leaked in the open air.
Brucellosis is a disease that is caused by bacteria from livestock which can also infect humans. It is named after their primary host, Brucella Melitensis, which is mostly found in goats, sheep and camels. This disease is also known by the name of Malta Fever or Mediterranean Fever and its main symptoms are headache, muscle pain, fatigue and fever. According to United States Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), its symptoms like organ swelling and arthritis can become chronic and last for a lifetime.