(Yicai Global) Aug. 29 -- African swine fever cropped up in four regions of China this month. The outbreaks have been effectively brought under control, but the possibility of new incidencescannot be excluded, China's agriculture ministrysaid today.

A confirmation of ASF virus contamination of some livestock culled is still pending subject tofurther investigation, an official withChina's Ministry of Agriculture said. ASF has spread in China's neighboring countries for a long time, and thus the risk of reintroduction remainshigh, the officialstated.

Some cows have also been infected with O-type foot-and-mouth disease in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, with36 diseased and 12 that succumbedto the sickness. The localgovernmenthas culled 100 infected cows as well as those that had contact with them, and those slaughtered as a precaution have now been declared disease-free, thus bringing the local outbreakundereffective control, per the statement.

Acase of human-infectious cow anthrax also cropped up in the Tongliao area of the region earlierthis month.

O-typeFMD is an acute, highly infectious disease that afflicts animals pigs, cattle, and sheep. The disease spreads rapidly and has a high incidence. It must be reported underthe rules of the Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health and falls withinChina's A category of livestockailments.

O-type FMD is common in China. Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province in central China, one of the areas in whichASFhas broken out, also announced an O-type FMD in pigs on Aug. 14.

Editor: Ben Armour