The Council of Agriculture (COA) yesterday began vaccinations of cattle in northern Taiwan after eight cows in New Taipei City tested positive for an infectious disease.
Beef cattle infected with lumpy skin disease were discovered on a farm in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口) on Thursday — a first for Taiwan proper, the council said.
Eight of the 130 cows on the farm had a fever and nodules on their skin, New Taipei City animal protection personnel said after an inspection on Wednesday.
Photo: CNA
Tests on blood from three of the eight cows showed that they had contracted the disease, which is caused by a capripoxvirus, the Animal Health Research Institute said.
The eight cows were culled, cremated and buried, with restrictions imposed on movement of cattle in the area, the institute said.
Lumpy skin disease is an infectious, eruptive disease that is fatal for cattle. It is characterized by nodules on the skin. Secondary bacterial infection often aggravates the condition.
Minister of Agriculture Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) said a sample taken from an affected cow showed that the virus is genetically identical to a strain from China.
The source of the infection is believed to be mosquitoes or other insects, or transmission via Kinmen or China, Chen said.
The council would put down infected cows and has begun a program of inoculations of cattle in New Taipei City, Taipei, Keelung, Yilan County, Taoyuan, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County, he said.
Later yesterday, Chen inspected vaccination and sanitation efforts at a farm in New Taipei City to confirm that the program was on schedule.
The council has 14,450 vaccines on hand and personnel would implement biosafety measures at cattle farms, including enforcing access restrictions, area sterilizations and vector controls, Chen said.
Lumpy skin disease is not known to be transmissible to humans, but it is a threat to the cattle industry, he said, adding that Taiwan’s milk and beef are safe for consumption.
New Taipei City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office Director Yang Shu-fang (楊淑方), whose agency is in charge of implementing council measures, said that 1,709 cattle at 11 farms within its jurisdiction were to be vaccinated yesterday.
Cows within 3km of the cases have had their movement restricted for 28 days after being inoculated, while cows within 10km can be transported immediately after inoculation, Yang said.
No restrictions have been placed on cows outside the 10km circle, she said.
New Taipei City in 2019 handed out mosquito-killing lamps to farms in its jurisdiction and new lights would be provided as needed, she said, adding that sterilization at the farms would be stepped up from once per week to twice per week.
Cows would produce less milk for three to five days after being vaccinated and the vaccine takes effect in seven days, National Chiayi University professor of veterinary medicine Lai Jyh-Mirn (賴治民) said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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