BEIJING, Jan. 8 -- Foot-and-mouth disease has been confirmed in cattle in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, the country's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) said on Wednesday.

On Jan. 2, a village in Gyangze County in Xigaze Prefecture reported that seven head of cattle showed signs of the disease, according to the MOA.

The National Foot-and-Mouth Disease Reference Laboratory on Wednesday confirmed the infections as type A of the disease.

To prevent it from spreading, local authorities have sealed off and sterilized the infected area, where 45 head of cattle have been culled and safely disposed of, according to the MOA.

Foot-and-mouth disease is a contagious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild species within the family Bovidae.