China reports new African swine fever outbreak in northwest province

China reported another outbreak of the African swine fever on Sunday in its northwestern province of Gansu, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on its website.

The virus, fatal to pigs but not contagious to human beings, has significantly slashed pig output in the world's largest herd since the deadly disease was first detected in August last year.

The latest outbreak occurred in a breeding cooperative in a county in Gansu's Dingxi City, with 265 of the 287 infected pigs dying.

China has reported such outbreaks in all its provinces on the mainland, as well as in Hong Kong and Hainan island in the south.

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The ministry said the local government had culled all the remaining live pigs in the cooperative and blocked and disinfected the area among its other emergency measures.

Live pigs and relevant products have been banned from being transported in and out of the blocked area, it added.