BEIJING - Cattle in northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region have been found to be infected with foot-and-mouth disease, the Ministry of Agriculture said Wednesday.

The virus was first detected in 4 heads of cattle in Pengyang county,Guyuan city. Test results revealed that the cattle were carrying the O-type virus, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

All infected cattle, as well as 22 others that had been raised among them, have been culled and properly disposed of. The epidemic has been contained, according to the statement.