More than 100,000 quails were culled after a reported abnormal death at a quail farm in Changhua County was identified to have contracted the H5N1 avian influenza virus, the Changhua County Animal Protection Office said on Wednesday.
A quail farm in Lugang Township (鹿港) reported an abnormal death of a quail on Saturday last week, the office said.
Samples of the dead quail were sent to the Veterinary Research Institute and tested positive for the H5N1 avian influenza virus on Tuesday, it said.
Photo courtesy of the Changhua County Animal Protection Office
As of Wednesday, a total of 104,206 quails at the farm had been culled to prevent the virus from spreading, the office said, adding that it had guided the farm operator to clean and disinfect the environment.
Given that high temperatures in recent days could cause stress in poultry, operators should ensure proper cooling and ventilation at their farms and refrain from intensive farming to help prevent H5N1 bird flu, it said.
Data from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency showed that from January to this month, bird flu cases were identified at 19 poultry farms, including 16 terrestrial bird farms and three goose farms, nationwide.
Local animal health inspection authorities would continue to conduct disinfection around livestock farms and public places to help livestock farms that have been affected by floods and typhoons to restore production, the agency said.
Aside from preparing for typhoons and heavy rainfall, poultry farm operators should implement biosafety management measures and monitor health conditions on a daily basis, it said.
Any abnormal situation should be reported to local authorities as required by relevant regulations; otherwise the farm operator could be fined up to NT$1 million (US$32,782) without reimbursements granted to cover the expenses of culling, it said.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
A former soldier and an active-duty army officer were yesterday indicted for allegedly selling classified military training materials to a Chinese intelligence operative for a total of NT$79,440. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Chen Tai-yin (陳泰尹) and Lee Chun-ta (李俊達) for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). Chen left the military in September 2013 after serving alongside then-staff sergeant Lee, now an army lieutenant, at the 21st Artillery Command of the army’s Sixth Corps from 2011 to 2013, according to the indictment. Chen met a Chinese intelligence operative identified as “Wang” (王) through a friend in November
RSS