On Wednesday, Ecuador's Ministry of Public Health set an alert over the appearance of six people infected with brucellosis, a disease caused by the bacterium Brucella, which causes flu-like symptoms.
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The patients were detected in the city of Ibarra, in the province of Imbabura, in the north of the Andean country, and according to the health agency, they are not hospitalized and have not died.
"They are receiving specific treatment and outpatient medical follow-up. Their state of health is stable," a statement said.
The Ministry of Health also said that the brucellosis outbreak occurred at the Empresa Pública Municipal de Faenamiento y Productos Cárnicos de Ibarra (Municipal Public Company of Slaughtering and Meat Products of Ibarra) (EP-Fyprocai), but the ministry rejected the alert and considers that there is a lack of information to determine that the outbreak originated in these facilities.
The text reads,
An outbreak of brucellosis occurred in Ecuador on 13 May.
This outbreak took place in a public slaughter company in Ibarra. The Minister of Health reported that there were 6 cases of said bacterial disease.
However, despite the fact that these cases were recorded in the meat products company, there are concerns that this disease can be found in homes, since according to the World Health Organization it can be transmitted from animals to humans.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), brucellosis affects people of all ages and both sexes.
Humans can become infected through direct contact with infected animals, mainly cattle, pigs, goats and sheep. In addition, through consumption of raw milk or other unpasteurized dairy products.
So far, there are no indications that the disease is fatal.