New African swine fever case reported in NW China

BEIJING - China has confirmed a new case of African swine fever in its northwestern Gansu province.

The disease was detected in a cooperative in Minxian County, Dingxi City. Among the 287 pigs in the cooperative, 265 were infected and died, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Sunday, citing a report from the China Animal Disease Control Center.

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

Transport of all pigs and related products out of or into the blocked region 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-level regions.