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Sheep disease outbreak contained in Tibet

By Cheng Anqi (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-06-03 12:09

A new case of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) was detected Tuesday in Rutog county, Ngari prefecture of Tibet autonomous region, the Ministry of Agriculture said.

The suspected epidemic disease broke out in mid-May in the county, leaving 113 sheep affected and 69 dead.

Veterinary experts and paramilitary officers were dispatched to the county from Lhasa to carry out epidemic monitoring, including blockades, sterilization, and quarantine supervision.

As of Wednesday, a total of 1,094 affected sheep had been culled, which brought the contagion threat under control.

PPR is an acute febrile viral disease in sheep and goats characterized by mucus nasal and ocular discharge, infection of the mouth and stomach, and pneumonia.