China reports new African swine fever outbreak in Xinjiang region

BEIJING (Reuters) – China said on Monday it had confirmed a new outbreak of African swine fever in Xinjiang region, as the highly contagious disease spreads through the world’s largest hog herd.

The outbreak in Yecheng county in the northwestern province killed 39 animals on a farm of 341 pigs, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in a statement on its website.

China has reported more than 110 cases of the incurable disease since it was first detected in the country in early August.

The disease is deadly for pigs but does not harm humans.

Reporting by Hallie Gu and Dominique Patton; Editing by Mark Potter

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source: reuters.com