The Ministry of Agriculture yesterday issued a five-day nationwide ban on transporting and slaughtering pigs after African swine fever was confirmed at a hog farm in Taichung’s Wuci District (梧棲) on Tuesday evening.
The detection means Taiwan has lost its status as the only Asian country free of classical swine fever (CSF), African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease.
Authorities pre-emptively culled 195 pigs at the farm at about 3am, disinfected the entire site to prevent the disease from spreading and set up a 3km-radius control zone restricting movement around the affected area, the ministry told a news conference.
Photo: CNA
It said it is monitoring the health of all pigs in the area and investigating the source of the infection.
The ministry reviewed transport routes and all 33 farms associated with the suspected farm and found no abnormalities, it said.
An emergency response center was yesterday set up on-site in Taichung, Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) said.
Starting from noon, transporting and slaughtering pigs are suspended nationwide for at least five days, pending changes, while feeding pigs with kitchen waste is also prohibited, Chen said, adding that Taiwan would temporarily halt the export of pork products.
All meat markets and vehicles used to transport hogs would be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, he said.
Pigs that were transported before the suspension would still be allowed to enter meat markets and slaughterhouses, but cannot leave, Chen added.
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday wrote on Facebook that he has asked the Executive Yuan to apply the strictest standards in implementing government disease-prevention measures.
People do not need to panic, as African swine fever cannot be transmitted from animals to humans, he added.
The Central Emergency Operations Center for African Swine Fever said the virus takes a long time to completely disappear.
Not only is it highly contagious, but it can survive for about 100 days in refrigerated pork, up to 1,000 days in frozen pork and one month inside pigpens, the center said.
Taiwan in May became the first country in Asia to be officially free of CSF, African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease when the World Organisation for Animal Health certified its CSF-free status.
African swine fever has stricken many countries globally and swept across Asia since 2018, but Taiwan had effectively blocked the virus at its borders and was declared free of African swine fever in October last year.
Pork is a staple in Taiwanese cuisine, while the pork industry is a central part of the nation’s agricultural industry. Over the years, Taiwan has implemented stringent control measures to safeguard its pork industry, which generates about NT$70 billion (US$2.3 billion) annually.
Additional reporting by Esme Yeh and CNA
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