Factory raises US$3.8m for victims of disease leak

A total of 25 million yuan (US$3.8 million) has been raised to compensate brucellosis cases caused by contaminated factory exhaust in 2019 in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China’s Gansu Province, local authorities said yesterday.

As of Monday, a total of 10,528 people have been confirmed antibody-positive for brucella after the contaminated exhaust led to infections between July and August 2019, according to the provincial disease prevention and control center.

The infections were caused by the use of expired disinfectant at the Lanzhou biological pharmaceutical factory of China Animal Husbandry Industry Co Ltd, which produces animal brucellosis vaccines. The failed disinfections resulted in the bacteria entering the exhaust emitted by the factory.

Wei Qingxiang, deputy mayor of Lanzhou, said the CAHIC Lanzhou biological pharmaceutical factory is directly responsible for the incident and should bear the expenses for treating brucella-related symptoms of the cases throughout their lifetime.

The factory has raised the money to set up a designated fund.

So far, it has fully borne the medical expenses of victims and paid about 3.84 million yuan to 3,244 people.

Brucella is characterized by fever, malaise and headaches.