Eight of the 1,037 birds that were smuggled into Taiwan from China on a ship have tested positive for the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, but an outbreak is unlikely as they have been seized and destroyed, officials said yesterday.
At a press conference yesterday, Council of Agriculture (COA) officials said that eight of 276 dead birds discovered on a Panama-registered ship by the Taiwan Coast Guard in Taichung Harbor on Oct. 14 were tested and found to be carrying the H5N1 virus.
The 1,037 birds on board were smuggled from China last week, raising concerns over the risk of bird flu being brought to Taiwan.
PHOTO: CNA
Officials said they did not know where the ship was heading, but had received information about it from an undisclosed source.
Nineteen types of birds were found on board the ship, with three types -- myna birds, black-naped orioles and Chinese nightingales -- found to be carrying the H5N1 virus.
According to Chao Parn-hwa (
All eight were found to have the H5N1 virus, Chao said.
Meanwhile, noting that the birds were smuggled from China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last night called on Beijing to adopt transparent measures in its actions against bird-flu to avoid becoming a "loophole" in other countries' efforts to combat outbreaks.
In Taichung, one crewmember from the ship, a Chinese national, is in quarantine and is being interrogated. The remaining 24 crewmembers left Taiwan with the ship on Monday.
Officials said that the quarantined crewmember has no symptoms at the moment and is taking Tamiflu, the most effective bird-flu medication available.
A 40-person team that searched the ship and destroyed the birds was not quarantined, as team members had worn protective gear and did not come in direct contact with the infected birds, officials said. But they are being monitored as a precaution, the officials added.
Watson Sung (
Smugglers face up to three years imprisonment and a NT$150,000 fine. Officials are considering tightening the smuggling law.
"All the birds on board the ship have been destroyed. Bird flu has not spread into Taiwan and we are not an infected zone," Sung said.
Meanwhile, as part of efforts to combat a possible avian flu outbreak, Taipei Municipal Hospital yesterday announced the establishment of a "vanguard team" of 108 hospital staff that will be stationed at Hoping Hospital should an outbreak occur.
The 108 doctors, nurses and other hospital staff from six municipal hospitals will be stationed at Hoping Hospital, which has been designated the anti-avian flu center for the city.
Officials hope to gain from the hospital's experience during the SARS outbreak of 2003.
At a ceremony to announce the team's establishment, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
also see story:
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS