In these two farms, the disease has been confirmed in 219 cows out of a total of 6,229 animals, as reported by Reuters.
Laboratory studies have established that the serotype is SAT1, which has not been previously recorded in China. Given that the vaccines currently available in the country do not provide protection against this strain, it raises concerns among livestock specialists.
The authorities in Gansu and Xinjiang have already begun culling the infected and contact animals, as well as disinfecting farms to prevent further spread of the infection. So far, there have been no reports of the disease spreading beyond the identified farms; however, the lack of effective vaccine protection poses risks for new outbreaks and could negatively impact China's livestock sector and trade in meat and dairy products.
A similar situation was observed in mid-March in the Novosibirsk region of Russia, where authorities declared a state of emergency due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease and began confiscating animals. This raised concerns among market participants regarding potential restrictions on the export of Russian meat and dairy products.
Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease that affects cattle. For farmers, such outbreaks pose a serious threat as they can lead to livestock losses and restrictions on the movement of animals and trade in products.
The SAT1 serotype was first isolated in 1948 in southern Africa, and its circulation in this region, as researchers found, began as early as the 1930s. In 2025, it started to spread rapidly beyond Africa, reaching countries in Western Asia.
