BEIJING, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- China has confirmed a new outbreak of African swine fever in central China's Hubei Province, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said Tuesday.

Among 147 pigs raised at two adjacent farms in the city of Wuxue, seven pigs were confirmed infected and six dead, the ministry said on its website.

The ministry has dispatched a working team to Wuxue, while local authorities have initiated an emergency response to block, cull and disinfect the affected pigs. The disease has been handled properly and the situation is under control, the ministry said.

It was the second swine fever outbreak in Hubei this year. 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 northeastern province of Liaoning. Later outbreaks were reported in several other provincial regions.