WattAgNet: To control avian flu, Taiwan bans poultry transport

Several new cases of avian influenza have been reported in Taiwan, other countries

In Taiwan, several new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have been reported in the last week, leading the government to impose a temporary ban on the transport and slaughter of poultry across the Republic. Other recent cases in poultry have been reported in Iran, Israel, Nigeria and Cameroon.

Taiwan imposes a ban on poultry transport, slaughter
In a previous report, the agriculture ministry in Taipei reported the first detection in Taiwan of an HPAI virus of the H5N6 subtype in a dead goose. According to the latest ministry’s latest report to World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the same virus has been detected in a flock of almost 3,800 ducks at the same location – the town of Yuli in Hualien county. All the birds were humanely destroyed. Some of the flock also tested positive for the H5N2 HPAI virus.

According to the latest update from Focus Taiwan, there have been five outbreaks of H5N6 HPAI in poultry in recent days, bringing the total this month so far to 17. According to the Council of Agriculture, more than 188,000 poultry at 28 farms have been culled so far, and a seven-day ban on the transportation and slaughter of poultry has been put in place to contain the spread of the disease.

Iran, Israel report multiple HPAI outbreaks
In November 2016, animal health authorities in Israel and Iran reported the first outbreaks of HPAI caused by the H5N8 virus.