GANSU

96 from vet lab test positive for brucellosis

Ninety-six people from a veterinary research center in Lanzhou, Gansu province, have been confirmed to have brucellosis, a disease that can often be found in animals, the Lanzhou center for disease control and prevention said on Saturday. In late November, four students from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences' Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute were found to be infected with brucellosis. They are being treated at a hospital. The institute then set up an investigation team and shut down related laboratories and animal stalls. A total of 317 people who came into contact with the facility were put under medical observation, with 96 later confirmed to be carrying the pathogen. Most of those infected have not displayed symptoms, the Lanzhou CDC said. Brucellosis is mainly transmitted by touching livestock or eating animal products and can lead to damage of the central nervous and reproduction systems. The disease is not contagious among humans and can be cured with timely diagnosis and treatment, the authorities said.

HEBEI

Dinosaur footprints found at imperial resort

Numerous dinosaur footprint fossils dating back to the Jurassic period (about 150 million years ago) have been discovered at the former royal summer resort in Chengde, Hebei province, paleontologists announced on Friday. The footprints, from multiple species of dinosaur, were discovered in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) imperial resort, nearby temples and Madigou village, which is known for producing paving stones, a news conference was told. The discovery includes more than 140 three-toed theropod footprints with an average length of 13.4 centimeters, several ancient shorebird-like tracks, and an unconfirmed brontosaur track measuring 28.9 cm long and 22.6 cm wide. The discovery revealed a diverse dinosaur group that inhabited the area, providing records of the evolution of dinosaurs in northern China, said Xing Lida, an associate professor at the China University of Geosciences in Beijing who led the research team.