China says African swine fever outbreak remains severe

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's agriculture ministry said on Tuesday that the African swine fever outbreak in the country remains complex and severe, and prevention and control efforts are in a pivotal period.

China has reported 28 cases of the highly contagious disease in eight provinces so far, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in a statement published on its website. The country's first African swine fever outbreak was found in Liaoning province in early August.

(Reporting by Hallie Gu and Ryan Woo; Editing by Manolo Serapio Jr.)