China agriculture ministry says Hunan county hit by swine fever lifts restrictions

[December 21, 2018]  BEIJING (Reuters) - China's agriculture ministry said on Friday that the government of Baojing County in the southern province of Hunan has lifted swine fever restrictions.

Baojing, in the western part of the province, reported China's 50th case of the deadly disease in November.

The outbreak killed four pigs, prompting a ban on the transportation of live hogs and pork products to and from the affected area.

After the completion of a culling program in the affected area and six weeks of monitoring with no new cases reported, the blockade was lifted at midnight on Dec. 20, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in a statement.

China, home to the world's largest hog herd, has now reported more than 90 outbreaks of the highly contagious disease since August.

(Reporting by Tom Daly; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)

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