Taiwan has officially become the only Asian country free of classical swine fever (CSF), African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease, after the World Organiation for Animal Health (WOAH) certified its CSF-free status at the 92nd General Session held in Paris on Thursday.
CSF is a highly contagious and fatal disease of pigs that can cause hemorrhages, miscarriage or stillbirth, and has been active in Asia for decades, the Ministry of Agriculture said.
The last confirmed CSF case was identified in Changhua County in 2005 and no more cases have been detected since, it said.
Photo courtesy of the New Taipei City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office
Following the termination of all CSF vaccinations on July 1, 2023, the ministry applied for the CSF-free certificate from the WOAH in August last year and earned the recognition on Thursday.
The recognition not only marked Taiwan’s achievement as the only Asian nation to be free of the three major swine diseases, but would also enhance the international credibility and competitiveness of the domestic pork farming industry, the ministry said.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Chief Veterinary Officer Tu Wen-jane (杜文珍), who accepted the certificate on behalf of Taiwan, said the achievement was thanks to industry-government-academia collaboration.
Such public-private collaboration must continue, to maintain Taiwan’s status as a country free of the three major swine diseases, she said.
Republic of China Swine Association honorary president Yang Kuan-chang (楊冠章) thanked the government and the public for supporting the hog farming industry, saying that “the honor belongs to all people of Taiwan.”
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Thursday on Facebook congratulated people working in the pork farming and processing sector, and expressed thanks to those who have aided the quarantine and epidemic prevention.
He also extended appreciation to former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) and former minister of agriculture Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲), adding that he would continue the effort along with Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季).
Taiwan was hit by foot-and-mouth disease in 1997, which led to a more than NT$170 billion (US$5.68 billion) loss in the swine industry, before it was declared free of the disease by the WOAH in 2020, the ministry said.
African swine fever has stricken many countries globally and swept across Asia since 2018, but Taiwan effectively blocked the virus at its borders and was declared free of African swine fever in October last year, the ministry said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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