BEIJING — China identified three new outbreaks of African swine fever in the eastern province of Anhui and northeastern province of Heilongjiang, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said Sept 6.

In the city of Xuancheng, Anhui province, 15 of the 52 pigs on a farm in Xuanzhou district were confirmed to be infected and died, the ministry cited a report from the China Animal Disease Control Center.

The disease was also discovered in the city of Wuhu, Anhui province, where 13 of the 30 pigs on a farm in Nanling county were confirmed to be infected and four died.

In the city of Jiamusi, Heilongjiang province, 26 of the 203 pigs on a farm in the Xiangyang district were confirmed to be infected and 10 died.

The ministry said local authorities in the three cases have initiated an emergency response mechanism to block, cull and disinfect the affected pigs.

The outbreaks are now under effective control, said the ministry.

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