IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Beijing

3 new swine fever outbreaks reported

China has confirmed new outbreaks of African swine fever in three regions, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on Wednesday. On a farm in Hejiang county, Sichuan province, 68 out of 165 pigs were confirmed dead after being infected with the viral disease, the ministry said, citing a China Animal Disease Control Center report. Outbreaks were also reported on farms in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, and Beijing. Of 245 pigs on the farm in Xi'an, 85 were confirmed infected and 64 dead, while in Beijing's Shunyi district, 53 out of 2,461 pigs were confirmed infected and 26 were dead. Local authorities have initiated an emergency response to block, cull and disinfect the affected pigs.