China has confirmed a new outbreak of African swine fever in central China's Hunan Province, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said Wednesday.
The outbreak was found on a farm with 73 pigs in the city of Huaihua, with 61 pigs confirmed infected and 55 dead because of the disease, the ministry said, citing a China Animal Disease Control Center report.
Local authorities have initiated an emergency response to block, cull and disinfect the affected pigs.
African swine fever is a highly contagious, viral disease that infects pigs but not humans or other animals.
China reported its first case of the disease in August in Liaoning Province. Later outbreaks were reported in several other provincial regions.
