BEIJING -- China has confirmed new cases of African swine fever in pigs transported to northeast China's Liaoning Province, the country's agriculture ministry said Saturday.

The disease was detected in three truckloads of pigs being transported into the province, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said, citing reports from the China Animal Disease Control Center.

Local authorities have initiated an emergency response to cull the pigs and disinfect the trucks and the sections of highways involved.

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 have been reported in several other provincial-level regions.