About 14,000 broiler ducks at three farms in Pingtung County’s Yanpu (鹽埔) and Kaoshu (高樹) townships were culled on Thursday after it was discovered they were infected with avian influenza, the second confirmed case in Pingtung County within a week.
Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine Director-General Chang Su-san (張淑賢) said ducks at the three farms were found to have contracted a new strain of the avian influenza H5 subtype virus on Wednesday, and a full culling was conducted at the affected farms on Thursday.
Chang said the three farms are within a 1km radius of a farm in Pingtung’s Sinyuan Township (新園), where 5,780 broiler ducks infected with the H5 subtype virus were culled last Thursday.
She said the ducks culled this week were healthy, but preventive culling was conducted in accordance with epidemic prevention regulations, adding that the bureau instructed farmers to disinfect and clean the animals’ enclosures to prevent the spread of the virus.
Ducks are potential carriers of avian influenza that exhibit few symptoms and low mortality rates when infected.
The bureau said it will now take samples from all farms within a 1km radius of the affected farms.
Any operators that refuse the bureau’s inspection will face a fine of between NT$30,000 and NT$150,000 (US$913 and US$4,569), and those who fail to report any erratic farm animal deaths will face a maximum fine of NT$1 million, Chang said
The Pingtung outbreak is the latest in a series of reported cases since ducks and chickens at farms in Chiayi and Changhau counties were found infected with avian influenza late last month. The total number of ducks and chickens culled this year has exceeded 5 million, the bureau said.
The bureau said a serious outbreak might occur in the autumn, and has called on epidemic prevention officers to thoroughly disinfect affected facilities, as well as vehicles and equipment used for disease control purposes.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS