Foot-and-mouth disease infections confirmed in Tibet

The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) on Wednesday said infections of foot-and-mouth disease have been confirmed in cattle in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. On July 5, a village in Bomi County in Nyingchi Prefecture reported that 72 head of cattle had shown symptoms, according to the MOA. The National Foot-and-Mouth Disease Reference Laboratory on Wednesday confirmed that the animals were infected with type A foot-and-mouth disease. To prevent the disease from spreading, local authorities have sealed off and sterilized an infected area where 489 head of cattle 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.