New cases of foot-and-mouth disease were found in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province Tuesday, a statement from the press office of China's Ministry of Agriculture said.

According to the statement, 24 pigs raised by some farmers in the western suburbs of Aksu City, Xinjiang, were suspected to have contracted a new strain of foot-and-mouth disease, which was identified as O-type, on June 19. This case was confirmed Friday.

Another case was also confirmed Saturday in Menyuan County of Qinghai, where 17 other swine raised on an animal farm were first suspected of having the same virus last Tuesday.

Altogether 508 infected swine have been slaughtered in the two regions so far. The situation is under control, the statement said.

(Xinhua News Agency June 30, 2010)