ULAN BATOR, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- The western Mongolian province of Bayan-Ulgii has been quarantined for 21 days starting from Wednesday due to an outbreak of deadly foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in animals, local media reported on Thursday.
"The highly contagious FMD has been diagnosed in three locations of Nogoonnuur soum (administrative subdivision) of our province. Therefore, a quarantine regime has been imposed in the province for a period of 21 days," the provincial governor's office said in a statement.
The FMD is a viral infectious disease that spreads among cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep and pigs.
The livestock sector is a main pillar of the Mongolian economy with over 71 million heads of livestock in the country as compared with its 3.4 million people.
The landlocked Asian country is striving to develop its livestock sector. However, frequent outbreaks of livestock animal diseases such as FMD and mad cow disease are impeding the process. ■