The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine on Friday disputed accusations in the media that alleged recent bird flu outbreaks were related to unauthorized inoculation with vaccines illegally imported from China, saying that the vaccine viruses and the viruses affecting local birds are different strains.
A report by online news outlet News and Market earlier this week said that highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N2, which is responsible for many of the bird flu cases reported since last month, could be linked to a commercial H5N2-based vaccine developed by a Chinese university.
The report said that unlicensed veterinarians in Taiwan purchased the vaccines online and vaccinated fowl in local farms, thereby introducing the H5N2 viruses into Taiwan.
Bureau director Chang Su-san (張淑賢) said that the Chinese vaccine is based on an Asian strain of the H5N2 viruses, while the H5N2 viruses found in Taiwan are of European origin.
The “H5” hemagglutinin genome sequence of the new strains of H5N2, H5N3 and H5N8 viruses found in the nation this year is a more than 98.8 percent match to the one seen in South Korea, which is assumed to be transmitted into Taiwan by migratory birds, Chang said.
Currently, bird flu vaccination is prohibited in Taiwan to reduce the risk of vaccine viruses recombining with viruses in the environment and mutating into new strains, while bird flu is still rampant in some countries where vaccination is practiced, she said.
Saying that a general immunization against bird flu viruses could not be realized without considerable vaccination coverage, she added that culling remains the most effective epidemic prevention measure, while a general vaccination program is not on the bureau’s agenda.
Unauthorized vaccination is subject to fines of between NT$60,000 and NT$300,000 (US$1,845 and US$9,227) and repeat offenders could be fined up to NT$2.5 million the bureau said.
The bureau yesterday said that 3,500 broiler ducks on a farm in Pingtung County’s Kaoshu Township (高樹) were culled after the ducks were found to be infected with the H5 subtype virus.
No affected products have entered the market, the bureau said.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
Carrefour Taiwan is to begin using a new name from the start of July, but it cannot divulge the name until then, the chairman of the supermarket chain's parent company said today. President Chain Store Co chairman Lo Chih-hsien (羅智先) was asked by reporters after a shareholders' meeting to confirm whether the company has settled on a new name for the supermarket brand. In March, the government-registered name of two Carrefour Taiwan branches was quietly changed to "Le Chia Kang" (樂家康) in Chinese, raising speculation that has been selected as the name. Lo said that because of local regulations and contractual obligations, the
The Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity to the democracy claimed by China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, reiterating a stance that risks angering Beijing. “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday. The Philippine leader’s comments come ahead of a state visit to Japan next week, where he is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security
RSS