Taiwan confirms first cases of African swine fever
Taiwan has reported its first cases of African swine fever, prompting authorities to cull nearly 200 pigs and impose strict control measures to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus, officials said Thursday.
The agriculture ministry confirmed that samples from dead pigs at a farm in Wuqi district, Taichung, tested positive for the disease earlier this month, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
In response, 195 pigs were culled, and a three-kilometre (two-mile) control zone was established around the site.
Deputy Agriculture Minister Tu Wen-jane said during a press briefing that no other abnormalities have been detected elsewhere on the island so far.
Authorities are tracing the whereabouts of 28 pigs that had been sold in local markets before the infections were identified, according to Lin Nien-nung from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency.
To curb any potential spread, the transport and slaughter of pigs across Taiwan have been temporarily banned for five days.
Although African swine fever does not affect humans, it is fatal to pigs and poses a severe threat to the pork industry, which generates around NT$70 billion (US$2.3 billion) annually and involves nearly five million pigs across Taiwan.
President Lai Ching-te urged the public not to panic and called on local governments and pig farmers to remain highly vigilant.
“If any abnormal deaths or suspected infections are found among pigs, please report them immediately to local animal quarantine authorities,” Lai wrote in a Facebook post.
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