Doubling of animal disease infections in China | Abroad

Health authorities in the northwestern city of China said the outbreak was due to a leak at a state-owned biopharmaceutical company that made vaccines against brucellosis in July and August last year. Health authorities said that the biopharmaceutical company used a disinfectant that had passed its expiration date. As a result, the company was not completely freed of the bacteria that causes the disease brucellosis during cleaning activities.

Humans can get the disease from direct contact with infected animals and from eating or drinking infected animal products, but the bacteria can also spread through the air, according to the World Health Organization.

The animal disease brucellosis occurs in cattle, but also in pigs, sheep, goats and dogs. The disease causes flu-like symptoms in humans. Some symptoms can become chronic.

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