Avian Influenza.jpg (Photo : Reuters)
Agriculture authorities confirmed on Sunday that, for the first time in the country, two highly pathogenic viruses are responsible for the outbreaks of avian influenza at the goose farms in Southern Taiwan. The country is now dealing with both H5N8 and a new type of H5N2.
The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine under the Council of Agriculture announced that the avian influenza outbreaks reported to have taken place at four goose farms in Yunlin City are traced to a new strain of the H5N2 virus.
The bureau also noted that the flu virus is similar to the one that was found in South Korea last year. Tissue samples from the geese in Dalin Township provided the evidence.
"Both of the viruses are new and have never been detected in Taiwan before," the bureau's statement reads.
As of now, measures have been carried out to cull infected fowl, including 6,000 geese of the four farms affected as well as 1,500 geese raised for breeding at a Chiayi Farm detected to have the virus.
Recognizing the urgency of a swift response to this health crisis, the Chiayi County Agriculture Department asserted that all geese in all goose farms in the country will be culled. Farms located at a one-kilometer radius of the infected farm and are raising fowl themselves are all called to deliver samples once a month for three consecutive months.
In the meantime, one goose farm in Tainan is being monitored. The farm had reported sudden, unexplainable deaths of 100 geese out of the 800 total geese being bred last Saturday. They were being transported to a slaughterhouse located in Pingtung County when the deaths took place.
Lee Chao-chuan, head of the Tainan City Animal Health Inspection and Protection Office, confirmed the deaths Sunday and claimed that an investigation is already under way.
