ULAN BATOR, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Southern Mongolia's province of Dundgovi has started a vaccination campaign against the deadly foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) among high-risk animals, local media reported on Thursday, citing the provincial government.
The FMD is a viral infectious disease that spreads between cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep and pigs.
The FMD broke out in Erdenedalai district of the province last month, and more than 2,000 heads of livestock infected with the disease were killed and buried.
The livestock sector is a main pillar of the Mongolian economy with around 70 million heads of livestock in the country with a human population of 3.3 million.
The landlocked country is striving to develop its livestock sector in a bid to diversify its mining-dependent economy by raising its meat exports.
However, frequent outbreaks of livestock animal diseases such as FMD and mad cow disease are impeding the country's meat exports.
The country's meat exports have been suspended since June due to infectious animal diseases, according to the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Enditem
