Pine wilt, a deadly pine disease, has spread to 113 counties in 12 Chinese regions, a spokesman of the State Forestry Administration said on Friday.

Nineteen counties in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi and Guangdong provinces were newly affected this year, said Cao Qingyao, the administration's spokesman.

The disease has also affected Shandong, Hubei, Hunan, Chongqing, Guizhou and Yunnan.

The spread of the disease is mainly due to illegal transport of pine wood from the affected areas to non-affected areas and processing of such wood in non-affected areas, noted Cao.

The use of packages using improperly-processed pine wood is also a major factor in the spread of the disease, he said.

The administration urged local authorities to tighten the control of illegal transport and processing of pine wood from affected areas.

The pine wilt disease was first found in China in 1982 in Nanjing, capital city of Jiangsu. It could lead to the destruction of pine forest.

(Xinhua News Agency August 25, 2007)