In an effort to step up defenses against bird flu, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) has implemented measures to regulate staff and to provide training for them throughout the country.
The bird flu virus, which has swept its way through parts of Europe and Southeast Asia in recent months, has led to mass cullings and left affected bird farms desolate.
With human cases of bird flu being discovered in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and China, and a mortality rate of approximately 50 percent, EPA officials said that even though Taiwan is still a bird flu-free zone, the nation's defenses need to be strengthened.
This is especially true in view of the increasing numbers of migratory birds which will be passing through this area in the next few months.
The head of the EPA's division of environment sanitation and toxic substance management, Liu Ruei-hsiang (
Up until now, Taiwan has taken the work of defending against bird flu seriously, stockpiling Tamiflu as well as ingredients to produce Tamiflu, requesting "coercive authorization" to produce Tamiflu, tightening up defenses against bird smuggling, providing funds for farmers to put up wire fencing, increasing sampling of migratory birds for the HN virus family, holding conferences to increase the flow of information and holding large-scale drills.
Alerting the public about safety precautions has also been a top priority, with booklets and leaflets being produced by the DOH, information lines established and notices being put up accross major parks in Taipei. The Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) has also translated information booklets on bird flu into English, Vietnamese, Thai and Indonesian.
Asked how regulating staff actions could prevent the spread of bird flu, Liu said, "In the event that there are human cases of bird flu in Taiwan, discarded materials used by patients may be infected with the virus. If these discarded materials are not managed properly then the infection could spread."
Liu added that the EPA also had a role to play in dealing with the disposal of animals infected with the HN virus, which if managed improperly could lead to the spread of the disease.
Measures that the EPA has taken to increase staff awareness include producing a handbook on regulations relating to staff procedures, holding training sessions -- particularly in relation to sanitation procedures -- and giving talks around the nation.
The EPA has also invested in the protection of its staff and has 4,000 protection suits in stock.
EPA officials urged the public to take precautions and to call 0800-0666666 to alert officials of any suspicious discarded materials.
FAST TRACK? Chinese spouses must renounce their Chinese citizenship and pledge allegiance to Taiwan to gain citizenship, some demonstrators said Opponents and supporters of a bill that would allow Chinese spouses to obtain Taiwanese citizenship in four years instead of six staged protests near the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday morning. Those who oppose the bill proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) demanded that Chinese spouses be granted citizenship only after renouncing their Chinese citizenship, passing a citizenship test and pledging allegiance to Taiwan. The demonstrators, who were protesting at a side entrance to the Legislative Yuan on Jinan Road, were mostly members of the Taiwan Association of University Professors and other organizations advocating Taiwanese independence. Supporters of the bill, led
SILENT MAJORITY: Only 1 percent of Chinese rejected all options but war to annex Taiwan, while one-third viewed war as unacceptable, a university study showed Many Chinese are more concerned with developments inside their country than with seeking unification with Taiwan, al-Jazeera reported on Friday. Although China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to annex it, by force if necessary, 23-year-old Chinese Shao Hongtian was quoted by al-Jazeera as saying that “hostilities are not the way to bring China and Taiwan together.” “I want unification to happen peacefully,” Shao said. Al-Jazeera said it changed Shao’s name to respect his wish for anonymity. If peaceful unification is not possible, Shao said he would prefer “things to remain as they are,” adding that many of his friends feel
Taiwan has “absolute air superiority” over China in its own airspace, Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) told a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on Monday, amid concern over whether Taipei could defend itself against a military incursion by Beijing. Po made the remarks in response to a question from Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) on whether Taiwan would have partial or complete air superiority if Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes were to enter Taiwan’s airspace. Po, a retired pilot, said that the Taiwanese military has “absolute air superiority” over PLA
A shipment of basil pesto imported by Costco Wholesale Taiwan from the US in the middle of last month was intercepted at the border after testing positive for excessive pesticide residue, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. Samples taken from a shipment of the Kirkland Signature brand of basil pesto imported by Costco contained 0.1 milligrams per kilogram of ethylene oxide, exceeding the non-detectable limit. Ethylene oxide is a carcinogenic substance that can be used as a pesticide. The 674kg shipment of basil pesto would either be destroyed or returned to its country of origin, as is the procedure for all