Medical staff prepare to inject
(ECNS) -- Nine imported alpacas diagnosed as being diseased were put down in Beijing on Wednesday, Beijing News reported.
Of the nine, three had tested positive for Q fever while the other six were diagnosed as having bovine viral diarrhea, according to the Beijing Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau. The animals were among 946 alpacas imported from Chile on May 6.
All of the nine alpacas were terminated via injection on Wednesday morning. Their bodies were buried. The burial tools and site, as well as the feeding sites, were all sterilized with quicklime.
The alpacas, which were all undergoing a 30-day quarantine period, received tests against multiple diseases, including foot-and-mouth and bluetongue.
While the sick alpacas were terminated, the majority were healthy and could pass quarantine. The incident was the third time since 2014 the bureau has diagnosed alpacas with Q fever, which can affect both cattle and humans.
