BISHKEK, September 16 (RIA Novosti) - Two outbreaks of anthrax have been registered in southern Kyrgyzstan, a source in the republic's emergencies ministry said on Tuesday.

The potentially fatal disease has been confirmed in 14 people, including several children, in the republic's Bankent Region. All of them became infected after culling sick cattle.

Six people have also been hospitalized after showing symptoms of the disease in the southwestern Jalal-Abad Region. The health of another 71 people is being monitored.

Anthrax affects both wild mammals and domestic cattle that ingest or inhale the bacterial spores while grazing. Humans can contract the disease if they are exposed to the blood or tissue of infected animals. It can be highly lethal, but in some forms responds well to antibiotic treatment.