Over 6,000 Cases of Brucella Cluster Infection in Lanzhou, China

Published 06 Nov.2020 15:41(KST)

Expired Disinfectant Used in Brucella Vaccine Production Process Identified as Cause

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Regarding the Brucellosis outbreak in Gansu Province, northwest China, the number of residents who have tested positive has exceeded 6,000.

According to Chinese media including Xinhua News Agency on the 6th, the Lanzhou city authorities in Gansu Province held a press conference the day before and stated, "So far, more than 55,000 people have been tested, and through provincial-level retesting, 6,620 have been confirmed positive."

The authorities had previously announced on September 14 that about 21,000 people were tested, with 3,245 testing positive. Since then, as the number of tests increased, the positive cases have more than doubled in 53 days.

This incident occurred when Zhongmu Lanzhou Biopharmaceutical Factory used expired disinfectants during the production process of animal Brucellosis vaccines in July-August last year. Waste containing Brucella bacteria was not properly sterilized and was released externally in aerosol form, spreading through the wind and entering the body via inhalation or mucous membrane contact.

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

The authorities stated, "This incident occurred accidentally and was a one-time leak over a short period," adding, "The factory director responsible for the accident received an internal party warning and administrative warning, and eight responsible persons were severely disciplined."

They also said, "In September, the first compensation payment of 10 million yuan (approximately 1.7 billion KRW) was made and used for monitoring, treatment, and compensation," and "The factory will fully guarantee the funds necessary for subsequent compensation."