Taipei Times
Date: Dec 10, 2019
By: Hsiao Yu-hsin  /  Staff reporter

Government efforts to prevent African swine fever from spreading to Taiwan during the Lunar New

Year holiday next year would be more challenging than this year, as the virus has infected more nations, Council of Agriculture (COA) Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) said yesterday.

This year, Taiwan only had to guard against the outbreak in China, but since then, the virus has spread to 10 East Asian nations, he said while inspecting quarantine procedures for parcels from abroad at Chunghwa Post Co’s (中華郵政) mail processing center in Taipei.

Travelers carrying hams, sausages and other cured products from overseas are the largest source of illegal meat products and could affect epidemic prevention efforts during the Lunar New Year, which falls on Jan. 25, said Chen, who is also the head of the central emergency operation center for African swine fever in Taiwan.

Parcel deliveries are the second-largest source, he added.    [FULL  STORY]