BEIJING, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- China has confirmed a new outbreak of African swine fever in southwestern China's Guizhou Province, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said Thursday.

Among 10 pigs raised on a local farm in the city of Bijie, eight pigs were confirmed infected and eight dead, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

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

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

China reported its first case of the disease in August in the northeast province of Liaoning. Later outbreaks were reported in several other provincial regions.