A retrospective study conducted by the Council of Agriculture (COA) shows that the rabies virus has been present in Taiwan for at least three years, as five of the 13 Formosan ferret-badger samples preserved since July 2010 have recently been tested and found to be positive for rabies, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday.
A total of 17 ferret-badgers preserved by the council’s Endemic Species Research Institute had been sent for testing, four of which lacked enough brain tissue to be tested.
However, five of the remaining 13 samples were tested using the fluorescent antibody test and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction for a retrospective test, and were found to contain rabies antibodies and nucleic acids, the agency said.
The center said that of the 13 samples, the oldest dated back to July 17, 2010, and was collected in Nantou County’s Guosing Township (國姓).
The results have indirectly confirmed that this strain of rabies is not new to Taiwan, the center said, adding that it will report its latest findings to the World Organization for Animal Health.
Four of the five positive samples were from Nantou County and one was from Chiayi County, which are among the nine rabies-affected regions where rabies-infected ferret-badgers have been found earlier this year, director of the council’s Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine Chang Su-san (張淑賢) said.
“The preserved samples collected from other counties such as Taoyuan County have tested negative for rabies. These results match our expectations,” Chang added.
Although the latest tests found that rabies has been in the country for at least three years, the surveillance of the disease in other animals such as dogs, cats and bats in the past three years has not detected cross-species transmission of the virus, the center said.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
RSS