China reports new African swine fever case in Shaanxi

BEIJING -- China's agriculture ministry said Wednesday that a new case of African swine fever had been confirmed in Shaanxi province.

The outbreak occurred on a farm with a total of 11,334 pigs in the city of Yulin, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said, citing a China Animal Disease Control Center report.

Up until now, 62 pigs on the farm have died from the viral disease, while 150 have been infected, the ministry said.

A team was dispatched to the area immediately, and local authorities have initiated an emergency response to block, cull and disinfect affected pigs.

Transport of all pigs and related products out of or into the blockaded region is forbidden, the ministry said.

African swine fever is believed to only infect pigs, and no humans or other species have thus far been infected.

China reported its first case of the disease in August 2018 in the northeastern province of Liaoning.