Chinese state media reported an anthrax outbreak that infected 5 workers on a beef cattle farm in Qiji Town in western Shandong Province. Authorities apparently waited until they could no longer cover up the outbreak before issuing a public report. Social media reveals skepticism about government reporting on disease outbreaks. According to a report issued August 2 by China Central Television (and in English by China Daily ), five workers on a beef farm in Shandong Province's Qiji Town had "mild" infections of anthrax on their skin and are being treated in isolation. The outbreak was in Yanggu County in western Shandong's Liaocheng City. Authorities said all animals on the infected farm have been culled and properly disposed, local farms have been quarantined, the local area has been sanitized, and testing has found no indication of disease in other people or animals. The report explained that anthrax is an acute zoonotic infectious disease caused by Bacillus anthra...
Retired USDA economist Fred Gale peers through the "dim sums" of puzzling data to provide insight about China's agricultural markets in bite-size pieces like Chinese "dim sum" snacks. See the Archive and Labels for posts on various topics going back to 2008.