A chief veterinary official announced at a press conference in Beijing on Friday afternoon that Asia Type I foot and mouth disease has been found in China, and cattle diagnosed with it have been culled.

Jia Youling, national chief veterinary officer and director general of the Ministry of Agriculture's veterinary bureau, said the disease first hit dairy cattle farms in Daiyue District, Tai'an City, Shandong Province and Huishan District, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province in April.

The Ministry of Agriculture reported the situation to the FAO and OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) on May 13, according to Jia.

Two more farms have been affected in Hebukesaier County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Yanqing County in Beijing Municipality in the first half of May, and diagnoses from both have been confirmed by the National Foot and Mouth Disease Reference Lab.

There are 75 sick cattle in one farm in Hebukesaier, while the farm in Yanqing has 252 cases.

In addition, Hebei's provincial veterinary supervision department has discovered that fattening cattle in one beef cattle farm in Sanhe City have been infected, and 512 in the herd that tested positive were all culled.

Emergency measures have so far been adopted in the affected areas: sealing off affected areas; sending experts to provide guidance and monitor work; authorizing the National Foot and Mouth Disease Reference Lab to conduct investigations into pathogen and epidemiology; and carrying out emergency immunizations while monitoring the epidemic.

Foot and mouth disease is classified as a Category I infectious animal disease by the government, and a Category A lytic infectious animal disease by the OIE.

There are seven serotypes of foot and mouth disease. Asia I is newly introduced and mainly infects cows, pigs, sheep and goats. It does not pose a threat to human health.

At the press conference, Jia also briefed the press on bird flu amongst migratory birds in Qinghai Province. Up to yesterday, over 1,000 birds had been found dead, including bar-headed geese and great black-headed gulls.

Tight blockades and stringent disinfection measures have been taken to prevent domestic birds from contact with wild ones, and all vulnerable poultry in surrounding areas and areas along migration routes have been vaccinated.

(China.org.cn May 27, 2005)