 | I generally skim past the avian flu/swine flu stories but this one caught my eye... |
Anthrax has killed one person and infected 12 in northeast China, state media reported on Sunday, in the latest outbreak of animal-borne disease to hit the country in recent weeks.| Is there a standard multiplier for death tolls released by the ChiComs? |
Anthrax, a disease caused by spore-forming bacteria normally contracted through contact with infected livestock, struck on July 29 outside Shenyang, in Liaoning province, Xinhua news agency said on its Web site, www.xinhuanet.com. By Friday, no new cases had been reported in the town of Damintun for five consecutive days, and the lives and work of people in the area have returned to normal, Xinhua said. Anthrax thrives in grazing livestock such as cattle, goats and sheep, which can ingest anthrax spores from the soil. Infections were isolated to Damintun and two surrounding villages, Xinhua said. Eleven victims had been treated in hospital and were recovering, it said. Livestock in the affected areas had been inoculated with anti-anthrax vaccine or culled and safely buried, it said. Local officials had carefully checked all local meat sales points and banned people from bringing sick animals to markets. Echoing an ongoing outbreak of a pig disease that has killed at least 39 people in southwestern China, all the victims in Damintun were infected through slaughtering, handling or eating infected cows.
Snipped all the swine flu stuff. Read if you wish... |