Four new cases of rabies infection in wild Formosan ferret-badgers were confirmed yesterday, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center, bringing the number of confirmed cases in ferret-badgers to 128 nationwide, and the total number of cases across all animals to 130.
The four new cases of ferret-badger infection occurred in Lugu Township (鹿谷) and Shueili Township (水里) of Nantou County, along with Guanshan Township (關山) of Taitung County.
Center officials confirmed on Tuesday in Taitung County the first known rabies infection in a dog — a one-and-a-half-month-old puppy that had been bitten by a rabid ferret-badger and had to be euthanized.
Photo: Tsai Shu-yuan, Taipei Times
It was the first time the deadly disease had been found in dogs in Taiwan since the rabies outbreak was reported among ferret-badgers in mid-July after a hiatus of more than five decades.
Before the case, infections had been confined to ferret-badgers, except for one involving an Asian house shrew, the center said.
Center staff said that before Wednesday this week, a total of 541 wild carnivorous animals had been tested, leading to the 128 cases of rabies in Formosan ferret-badgers confirmed.
The officials indicated infection is mostly limited to countryside hills and mountainous regions, covering a total of 47 townships in nine counties and municipalities.
Center officials indicated the main task right now is to contain the rabies infection in the hills and mountain regions, and to build up a “protective barrier zone” around the affected areas. To do so, the center said they are providing 8,500 vaccine doses for household dogs and cats, and have organized an education campaign in these areas.
The center urged people to keep their distance from wild animals and to make sure their pets are vaccinated.
If pets display erratic behavior such as appetite loss, restlessness or aggression, owners should alert authorities immediately, the center said.
Due to the confirmed canine case in Taitung, center officials yesterday said that live animal experimentation is necessary to gain a better understanding of virus’ latent period, progression of symptoms, infection on the central nervous system and rate of toxin release.
The experimentation will be conducted as early as the end of this month and will be carried out first in mice, then Formosan ferret-badgers, followed by beagle dogs.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost