Chinese E. Coli Pandemic

The Tainted Fertilizer

In 2017 a particularly deadly strain of Escherichia coli (E. coli) infected a massive fertilizer shipment to the People's Republic of China. This fertilizer was vastly distributed to agricultural centers throughout China. Due to poor sanitation practices, this tainted fertilizer was mixed with huge stores of untainted fertilizer. As a result the E. coli strain exploded, infecting almost all of the nations agricultural store houses.

A Bountiful Rice Crop

A vast majority of this tainted fertilizer was used on the nations number one agricultural product, rice. Due to favorable growing conditions, the rice crop was the largest in the nation's history, over 300 million tons. Almost all of it contaminated with the deadly strain of E. coli. Storing the tainted rice with other crops further spread the contaminant.

Devastation

The tainted food was consummed by millions in and around China. The first reports of death were staggering, and as a result, China was declared a quarantine zone Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and all American travel to the country was prohibited, this prompted a mass of other nations to enact similar restrictions. Furthermore, a case was brought to the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the entire nation as quarantined for travel and trade until the pandemic was brought under control. As the nation was being consummed in reports of disease and death, Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China Hu Jintao, called for an emergency staff meeting to work to combat the spreading disease. Hu Jintao pleaded to the international community for aid, and received an ineffectual amount from the international community. In the end, over 300 million Chinese died as a result of the tainted crop. This devastated the work force and plunged China into a economic depression.

Investigations

After the pandemic had run its course, Hu Jintao established and investigative body to discover the source of the contaminant. The fertilizer was eventually traced back the chemical company Monsanto, based in the United States of America. This caused an uproar in the international community, as Hu Jintao personally condemned the United States for both its involvement in the horrific pandemic and the lack of humanitarian aid provided in the wake of the disaster. China says that it will propose international action against the United States.