ULAN BATOR, July 17 (Xinhua)-- Mayor's office of Mongolian capital Ulan Bator on Tuesday issued a decree on intensifying efforts to contain the spread of the deadly foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).

Martial law has been imposed in seven administrative subdivisions in the central western Arkhangai province to contain the spread of the disease.

Under the decree, relevant officials will work in 24 hour-shifts in rotation until Aug. 15 to prevent the spread of the disease in the capital and other provinces.

With more than 66 million livestock animals, Mongolia aims to raise meat exports tenfold in the coming years and to diversify its heavily mining-dependent economy.

But frequent outbreaks of livestock animal diseases such as the FMD have taken a toll on its meat exports.

Mongolian quarantine officials have had thousands of animals slaughtered in the past winter in 12 provinces to contain the spread of the FMD, a highly infectious and sometimes fatal disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals such as sheep, goats, cattle and pigs. The disease is rarely transmitted to humans, but humans may also be infected if exposed to the virus.