On a farm in Hejiang county, Southwest China's Sichuan province, 68 out of 165 pigs were confirmed dead after being infected with the viral disease, the ministry said, citing a China Animal Disease Control Center report.

Outbreaks were also reported on farms in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, and Beijing.

Of 245 pigs on the farm in Xi'an, 85 were confirmed infected and 64 dead, while in Shunyi district of Beijing, 53 out of 2,461 pigs were confirmed infected and 26 were dead. In the Shaanxi province, the virus killed 35 of 91 pigs present on a farm in Linfen city.

Local authorities have initiated an emergency response to block, cull and disinfect the affected pigs.

China reported its first case of the disease in August in the northeastern province of Liaoning.

A total of 81 cases of the disease had been reported in 21 provincial regions as of Monday (3 December), vice minister of agriculture and rural affairs Yu Kangzhen said at a meeting with political advisors on Tuesday.

Yu said African swine fever outbreaks are generally under control in China as prevention and control measures have been effective.

African swine fever is a highly contagious, viral disease that infects pigs. It does not affect other animal species or humans.

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