Must agree 2020 is full of surprises. Another bacterial infection which may lead to a pandemic. And guess what it has already entered India.
A new contagious bacterial disease called Brucellosis for which thousands of people have been tested positive in the areas of Northwest China and scientists are uptight that this can be much more severe than coronavirus.
This bacteria can affect both humans and animals and is caused by the group of bacteria belonging to the genus brucella.
Symptoms include:
- Joint pains
- Fever
- Headache
- Sweats
- Loss of appetite
And these symptoms do not show up immediately. They are shown after a few days or months of being affected.
The bacteria usually spread through inhaling contaminated air, consuming raw or unpasteurized dairy products, and direct contact with the fluid of the infected animal.
The best part is that human-to-human transmission of this bacteria is rare but mothers breastfeeding their children, sexual transmission and a severe cut or scratch can also make the human prone to that bacteria.
Most of the symptoms are similar to COVID-19 and flu. There are various antibiotics available for fighting the bacteria.
The National Health Commission (NHC) of Lanzhou has confirmed that there are 3245 cases contracted of the disease and 1401 people have tested positive. And it was recently reported that the bacteria have also entered India.
It is believed that this bacteria was caused by a leak at the Zhongmu Lanzhou biological pharmaceutical factory last year where the factory used expired sanitizers and disinfectants while producing the vaccines for Brucella for the animal use which lead to some bacterial leaking.
Though this bacteria can be treated by taking the antibiotics it takes several months or weeks also associated with high chances of reinfection.
Scientists and researchers are worried about the people in India as most of them are associated with farming and there can be contamination from farm animals like pigs, cows, and buffaloes. The scientists believe that the disease already exists in India and proper testing has to be done to avoid the spread.
Let’s hope that the testing for the bacteria begins and until then everyone please be safe.
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