Brucellosis confirmed in 65 people from Lanzhou veterinary institute

Sixty-five people from an animal medical research group in Lanzhou, Northwest China's Gansu province, have been confirmed to have brucellosis, a disease that can often be found in animals, according to school authorities on Friday.

During last weekend, four students from Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences were first found infected with brucellosis, which can lead to incapacitation and permanent damage of the central nervous system, and are currently being treated at the hospital.

The institute then set up an investigation team and shut down related laboratory and animal stalls.

A total of 263 who came into contact with the laboratory were put under medical observation, and 65 people have been confirmed as carrying brucellosis. Most of the infected haven't displayed related symptoms so far, according to the Gansu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Brucellosis is classified as a Class B infectious disease, the second most serious level in the country's three-tier infectious disease classification system.

It's mainly transmitted by touching animals or eating animal products. People diagnosed with brucellosis will not be contagious to other people and can be cured with timely diagnosis and treatment, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The National Health Commission and Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, together with local health authorities, have also sent experts and medical forces to assist the treatment and further investigation.