China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) on Monday said that foot-and-mouth disease infections have been confirmed in cattle in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

On April 12, a village in Xigaze City in Xigaze Prefecture reported that 32 head of cattle showed suspected signs of the disease, according to the MOA.

The National Foot-and-Mouth Disease Reference Laboratory on Monday confirmed the cases as type A foot-and-mouth disease.

To prevent the disease from spreading, local authorities have sealed off and sterilized the infected area, where 156 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.