China is taking strict measures at its borders, accelerating vaccine distribution, and initiating the culling of cattle following a minor outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the northwest region. Officials have confirmed that the disease was introduced from overseas.
The Ministry of Agriculture has announced the culling of animals and sanitation procedures in response to outbreaks affecting a total of 6,229 cattle in Gansu province and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Analysts noted that this marks the first time the SAT-1 serotype, typically found in Africa, has been identified in China. Current domestic vaccines for the more prevalent O and A serotypes do not offer protection against SAT-1.
The spread of SAT-1 from Africa to regions in the Middle East, West Asia, and South Asia since 2025 has raised concerns. Authorities confirmed that the outbreak entered China through the northwest border, which shares boundaries with Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, and other countries. Border provinces such as Xinjiang and Gansu have been instructed to intensify surveillance to prevent the disease from entering through smuggling or illegal transportation.
Rosa Wang, an analyst from Shanghai JC Intelligence Co., expressed that the current outbreak poses a significant threat to a vast area, placing considerable pressure on prevention and control efforts. The situation is compounded by a severe cattle disease outbreak in Russia’s Siberian Novosibirsk region, which is in close proximity to the affected areas in Xinjiang and Gansu.
China’s response to the outbreak has led to speculations of an unconfirmed foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, as indicated by the US Department of Agriculture in a report. Past instances of animal diseases crossing into China from Russia, such as African swine fever in 2018 and foot-and-mouth serotype O in 2000 and 2014, have raised concerns about the origin of the current outbreak.
Given the ease of transmission and high mortality rate of SAT-1, new vaccines targeting this strain have been swiftly developed. Two vaccines directed at SAT-1, manufactured by Zhongnong Weite Biotechnology Co., Ltd, have received emergency veterinary drug approvals and are expected to be available in the market within a month. This development comes at a challenging time for China’s livestock sector, grappling with declining meat prices, excess capacity, and subdued consumer demand.
Analysts anticipate potential fluctuations in cattle prices depending on the control measures implemented and the progression of the outbreak. Xu HongZhi, an analyst at Beijing Orient Agribusiness Consultants, highlighted the possibility of an initial drop in cattle prices followed by a subsequent increase as herd numbers decline.