Ulan Bator, Nov 13 (IANS): Two human cases of anthrax have been confirmed in the western Mongolian province of Uvs, local media reported on Wednesday, citing the country's National Center for Zoonotic Diseases (NCZD).

According to the NCZD, the individuals involved are a 32-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman from Zuungovi Soum, an administrative subdivision of the province. The man contracted the disease after slaughtering a cow that had been suffering from an undetermined illness, while the woman was infected after consuming meat from the same animal.

The infected people were in a local hospital in critical condition, and nine other people who were close to the sick animal were in isolation at the hospital under the observation of doctors, the centre said, adding that the soum has been partially quarantined indefinitely due to the outbreak.

Eleven out of all the 21 Mongolian provinces were now at risk of anthrax, according to the NCZD.