Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-11-15

In February this year, the Council of Agriculture jumped into action after a case of the H5N6 strain of avian influenza was detected in a dead young duck. This is the same strain that had been at the center of outbreaks in Japan and South Korea. The Korean outbreak in particular resulted in a massive cull of poultry livestock. H5N6 is highly pathogenic and can also be transmitted to humans.

In response to the first case in Taiwan, the Council of Agriculture set up a central disaster response center. It also activated mechanisms for cooperation across various departments to integrate the response. The government also took the unprecedented measure of placing a weeklong ban on the slaughter and transport of poultry. The measures were effective and the country was able to declare itself free of the virus in May.

On Tuesday this week, the deputy head of the Council of Agriculture, Huang Jin-cheng, warned that bird flu season is coming round again. He said that H5N6 has recently been detected in Japan in the droppings of migratory birds. In anticipation that the virus could reach Taiwan in this way, Huang said the authorities will be stepping up inspections of poultry to the levels of February’s outbreak.    [FULL  STORY]