BEIJING - China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) has confirmed an outbreak of peste des petits ruminants (PPR), also known as goat plague, in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

On February 10, two villages in Bayannur City of Inner Mongolia reported that 1,063 goats had showed suspected symptoms of the disease and that 431 of them had died.

The national exotic animal disease research center on Monday confirmed that the epidemic was PPR.

Local authorities have sealed off and sterilized the infected area where 5,090 infected goats and goats from the same herds are being culled and safely disposed of to prevent the disease from spreading, according to the MOA.

PPR, or ovine rinderpest, is a contagious disease mainly affecting goats and sheep. The virus causes fever, lesions, labored breathing and diarrhea in infected animals.