The Council of Agriculture (COA) on Sunday confirmed that two more poultry farms in Yunlin County have been found to be infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N2, which brings new infections to three in the first week of the year.
More avian flu infections have been reported from the central and southern regions since November last year.
Of the 15 poultry farms that saw H5N2 infections from November last year to this month, 12 are in Yunlin County, two are in Pingtung County and one is in Chiayi County, council data showed.
After a poultry farm in Yunlin County’s Tungshih Township (東勢) had 10,461 chickens culled on Friday, 11,160 chickens were yesterday culled at another farm in Tungshih, as well as 601 ducks at a farm in Huwei Township (虎尾), to prevent further outbreaks of H5N2, council data showed.
The Yunlin Animal and Plant Disease Control Center on Thursday received reports from the two farms about unusual deaths among their fowl and immediately banned them from transporting any livestock.
The council’s Animal Health Research Institute yesterday confirmed that the fowl at both farms had been infected with H5N2 virus, COA Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine Deputy Director-General Shih Tai-hua (施泰華) said, adding that they have been properly disinfected.
However, he said the duck farm did not have official registration records, so its owner would be punished by the Yunlin County Government.
People who do not obtain registration certificates for their poultry farm can be fined between NT$30,000 and NT$150,000, according to the Animal Industry Act (畜牧法).
As next month’s Lunar New Year approaches, demand for poultry meat is on the rise. The spread of avian flu has raised concern about a possible price hike for poultry in the coming weeks.
Avian flu surges seasonally in birds, just as humans are more susceptible to the flu in certain seasons, Poultry Association Republic of China chief executive Lee Ching-te (李進德) said.
As chicken supply and prices are both stable, consumers need not worry too much about market fluctuations, Lee said.
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