The United Airlines plane had just landed in the Chinese capital on Sunday when the crew discovered the rodents, a mixture of dead and living mice, in an empty pillowcase. The airline then reported the discovery to local quarantine officials.
An emergency team subsequently rushed to the aircraft to "put rat poison and mouse traps in every possible corner in the aircraft, including the cockpit," Xinhua said. Tests were also carried out for "parasites" and "bubonic plague antigens." The results were negative.
China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said that United Airlines staff had been on board during the 'mouse hunt,' and that no damage had been caused to the plane by the mice.
Chinese authorities inspected the plane for two days but no further rodents were found.