SHENYANG - Nine more people are suspected of being infected with cutaneous anthrax in Northeast China's Liaoning province, bringing the total number of reported cases to 30, local health authorities said Friday.

Among the reported cases, three have been confirmed and 27 others are still being investigated, the Liaoning Provincial Health Department said in a statement.

Twenty-nine of the patients are receiving treatment at an infectious disease hospital in the city of Anshan, while the other one has been transferred to a hospital in the provincial capital of Shenyang.

An initial investigation by local health authorities indicated that the patients contracted the disease after coming into direct contact with diseased cattle.

Cutaneous anthrax is an infection of the skin caused by direct contact with infected animals or animal products. It is rarely fatal if treated.