African swine fever won't become epidemic, agriculture ministry says

China has confirmed 74 outbreaks of African swine fever in 20 provincial areas, but the deadly pig virus, which is not harmful to people, won't break out into regional epidemics, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Friday.

The latest case was detected in Beijing's Fangshan district on Friday morning, killing 86 pigs on two farms.

About 600,000 live pigs have been culled as of Thursday since the first outbreak in Shenyang, Liaoning province, on Aug 1, Feng Zhongwu, head of the ministry's animal husbandry and veterinary department, said at a news conference on Friday.