Foot-and-mouth disease confirmed in north west China

China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) said Monday that foot-and-mouth disease infections were confirmed in cows in northwest China's Qinghai Province. A cow farm in Ershilipu Township of Xining reported that two cows showed suspected signs of the disease on March 15, according to the MOA. The National Foot-and-Mouth Disease Reference Laboratory on Monday confirmed the case as type A foot-and-mouth disease. To prevent the disease from spreading, local authorities have sealed off and sterilized the infected area, where 63 cows have been culled and safely disposed of, according to the MOA. Foot-and-mouth disease is a contagious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild species within the family Bovidae.