MINSK, November 4 (RIA Novosti) - Belarus has banned pork imports from Russia over the recent swine fever outbreak, a spokeswoman for the country's food and agriculture ministry told RIA Novosti on Wednesday.

"Due to a worsening African swine fever situation in Russia, temporary restrictions are imposed from November 4 on pork imports from Russia to Belarus," Darya Kozlovskaya said.

African swine fever, or Montgomery's disease, was first reported in Africa in 1903. Both domestic and wild animals can become infected when they come into contact with sick animals. The virus does not affect humans.

African swine fever hit Russia's southern Rostov Region in late September, and then spread to the neighboring Republic of Kalmykia. Besides these two regions, the disease has been registered in five other regions in Russia's south, including North Ossetia, the republics of Chechnya and Ingushetia, and the Stavropol and Krasnodar territories.

In mid-October, Ukraine tightened border controls with Russia in order to prevent the spread of swine fever to its territory.