New African swine fever case reported in S China

BEIJING - China's agriculture ministry Monday confirmed a new case of African swine fever in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The disease was detected in a total of 120 pigs transported to a slaughterhouse in Cencheng town, Cenxi city, with the viral disease infecting two pigs and killing a further two, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, citing a report from the China animal disease prevention and control center.

Local authorities have initiated an emergency response to block and cull all affected pigs in the slaughterhouse and disinfect the venue.

The transport of all pigs in and out of the blocked area is forbidden, the ministry said.

African swine fever is believed to infect only 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. Later outbreaks have been reported in several other provincial regions.