BEIJING, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- China's agriculture ministry has said new cases of African swine fever had been confirmed in southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The outbreaks occurred on two farms in the city of Beihai, with the viral disease infecting 1,629 out of 23,555 pigs and killing 924, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said Monday, citing a China Animal Disease Control Center report.

A team was dispatched to the area immediately, and local authorities have initiated an emergency response to block, cull and disinfect affected pigs.

Transport of all pigs and related products out of or into the blockade region is forbidden, the ministry said.

African swine fever is believed to infect only pigs, and no humans or other species have thus far been infected.

China reported its first case of the disease in August 2018 in the northeastern province of Liaoning. Later outbreaks were reported in several other provincial regions.