PHNOM PENH, May 30 (Xinhua) -- An unknown disease has killed seven cows and sickened others in Baek Chan commune's Trapeang Proy village in Kandal province since May 24 and much of the butchered meat has been put on sale in Phnom Penh, local media reported on Tuesday.

    The cows, which were from one to three years old and belonged to different villagers, stopped grazing and their legs became stiff before they died, according to their owners, The Cambodian Press Review reported. The cows showed signs of illness for only a short time before they died.

    Cow owners said they ate the meat of the first cow that died and buried its organs.

    The other six cows that died the next day were sold to a slaughterhouse in Phnom Penh. The butchered meat was sold to local markets, local Khmer newspaper Rasmey Angkor reported.

    A veterinarian in the village said that the cows may have died of a kind of furuncle disease.

    Many cows have been falling sick, villagers said. Trapeang Proy's village chief has informed authorities about the phenomenon in hope that relevant experts will be assigned to inspect and take measures to cure the sick cows. Enditem