Photo: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

 

Some of the people infected brucellosis in Northwest China's Lanzhou last year will initiate legal action against Zhongmu Lanzhou Biological Pharmaceutical Factory, which caused bacteria-containing aerosols to leak, leading to mass infections.

More than 600 infected people are joining the group lawsuit, Red Star News reported on Tuesday. They will sign an authorized letter and their attorney will submit the relevant litigation materials to the court.

"Many of us have been suffering from chronic brucellosis, and the treatment cycle for it can be very long," one of the patients surnamed Liu said. 

"The original compensation of 7,000 yuan ($1,073) may not be enough for the treatment. The current compensation package is not only too low, but also does not specify the damage caused by brucellosis to the body," Liu said.

Zhongmu Lanzhou Biological Pharmaceutical Factory promised to provide free treatment and take lifelong responsibility for the subsequent emergence of relevant symptoms. As of December 2, 3,244 people had signed compensation agreements.

According to Liu, none of the participants in the group lawsuit has signed the compensation agreement due to concerns over the implementation of "lifelong treatment."

Brucellosis is an infectious bacterial disease that can be transmitted through contact with infected livestock including cattle and sheep. The disease can cause incessant fever, fatigue, and joint and muscular pain. Some patients are no longer able to do heavy physical work, which is why it is commonly known as "lazy man's disease."

Liu said participation in the lawsuit is voluntary. Participants will reflect on all the experiences they have had resulting from the incident and provide the required information.

According to previous reports, more than 10,000 people were infected in the brucellosis incident, which occurred between July and August 2019, when the factory used expired disinfectant in its Brucella vaccine production, leading to the leak of bacteria-containing aerosols in the area. Eight people have been held accountable for the incident. 

In October, the infected people received compensation from the government. The patients were also assigned free hospital treatment in 11 public medical institutions. 

However, several of them have reported that they are still suffering Brucellosis-related symptoms that continue to have a significant negative impact on their daily lives, even after they have received hospital reports suggesting they had recovered, local media outlets reported. 

Global Times