July 26, 2005

Pig bacteria confirmed as China's mystery death source
 

After a preliminary probe by the health and agriculture ministries, the Chinese government has confirmed that the pig bacteria streptococcus suis has caused the mysterious illness which killed 19 people in the south-western province of Sichuan since last week.

So far, there have 80 reported human cases in 75 villages in the province, with 67 confirmed and 13 suspected cases. The death toll has also risen to 19, with 17 still in critical condition.

The victims had reportedly come in direct contact with sick or dead animals, after which they exhibited symptoms such high fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and even bruising under the skin.

The government said that while no human-to-human infection has been found, the disease has a latency period of two to three days.

It is now working to identify and control the disease. Officials will destroy infected pigs, and farmers have been forbidden from slaughtering and processing them.

In normal practices, farmers would home take a pig deemed as infected and process it for his own family's consumption.