A Hong Kong woman has reportedly contracted the bacterial disease, brucellosis, after traveling to Mainland China, according to Hong Kong officials.
On May 19, 2016, the Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection (CHP) recorded a case of brucellosis affecting a 51-year-old woman with underlying illnesses. She presented with on and off abdominal pain and fever since April 13, 2016 and was admitted to a public hospital twice from April 18 to 20 and from May 12 to 26, respectively.
Her blood specimen collected on May 13 yielded Brucella melitensis. She was treated with antibiotics and her condition was stable.
She had traveled to Mainland China in mid-March and had a history of preparing soup with lamb placenta and meat during her stay. She had consumed the soup and lamb meat but not the lamb placenta. Her home contacts were asymptomatic. She had no occupational exposure to animals, their carcasses or internal organs. She reported no history of contact with live animals. Investigation is on-going.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people can get the disease when they are in contact with infected animals or animal products contaminated with the bacteria. Animals that are most commonly infected include sheep, cattle, goats, pigs, and dogs, among others.
Related:
3 thoughts on “China traveler contracts brucellosis after consuming lamb soup”