Initial testing suggests that the strain of African swine fever detected at a pig farm in Taichung is genetically similar to that found in Vietnam, the Ministry of Agriculture said today.
However, complete gene sequencing by the Veterinary Research Institute is still underway, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency Animal Quarantine Division chief Lin Nien-nung (林念農) told a news conference after the weekly Cabinet meeting.
Taiwan’s stringent border protections against African swine fever extend beyond China to all countries and regions affected by the disease, he said.
Photo: Taipei Times
Meanwhile, the Taichung City Government earlier today announced that 28 hogs from the affected farm were sent out to buyers on Monday last week.
Tracing discovered that 23 hogs ended up in Taichung, four in Changhua County and one Chiayi, the city government said, adding that it is continuing to trace where the resultant meat products were sent.
Lin told reporters that all pigs undergo stringent hygiene testing before and after slaughter.
Suspected cases of African swine fever would present symptoms such as abnormal bleeding, but no such abnormalities were reported, he said.
The Taichung City Government has also come under fire over reports that it did not take samples from the farm for testing until 10 days after abnormal deaths were first reported on Oct. 10.
The city government yesterday said that it sent personnel after receiving a report of the deaths on Tuesday last week, but decided not to collect samples due to the absence of African swine fever symptoms.
Only after receiving another report on Monday did it collect samples for testing, it said.
Asked about the issue at the legislature this morning, Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) said that local officials should have taken samples at the first report of abnormal deaths, regardless of the suspected cause.
“When abnormal deaths occur, we should be more vigilant in testing,” he said.
If 3 percent of the hogs at a farm of between 200 and 500 die, it would constitute “abnormal,” requiring investigation by local authorities, he said.
Further investigation would determine whether the owner refused sampling or if other reasons were involved, he said.
However, it is illegal to prevent animal welfare officials from collecting samples for testing, he added.
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