China confirmed Monday the outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and east China's Jiangsu Province.

Two heads of cattle raised by a farmer in Xuanhe Town, Zhongwei City in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region showed the symptom of gum cankering, tongue blister on January 4, with one dead the next day, the Ministry of Agriculture said Monday on its website.

The initial tests by the region's veterinary authorities indicated this a suspected Asia I strain of foot-and-mouth disease case. The National Foot-and-Mouth Disease Lab confirmed the case on January 14, the ministry said.

Eighty-nine heads of cattle and 110 sheep have been culled in the vicinity of the outbreak in the region to guard against the spread of the disease, said the ministry.

In a farm in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, twenty cows took on the symptoms of salivation on January 11, which was diagnosed as a suspected Asia I strain of foot-and-mouth disease by provincial veterinary authorities and confirmed by the National Foot-and-Mouth Disease Lab January 16, according to the ministry.

100 heads of cattle have been killed in the region.

The outbreaks have been brought under control, said the ministry, adding that the areas around the two outbreaks have been sealed off and disinfected

The ministry also ordered the emergency vaccination of all susceptible animals in the vicinity of the outbreaks.

(Chinadaily.com.cn January 17, 2006)