BEIJING, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- China on Sunday confirmed a new case of African swine fever in Guangzhou, southern province of Guangdong, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

On a farm of more than 6,000 pigs in Guangzhou's Huangpu district, nine pigs have died after being infected with the viral disease, the ministry said, citing a China Animal Disease Control Center report released on Saturday evening.

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

African swine fever is a highly contagious, viral disease that infects pigs but not humans or other animals.

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