Authorities yesterday confirmed that a turkey farm in Tainan has been infected with the H5N6 avian influenza virus and that a cull has been carried out.
Other poultry farms within a 3km to 5km radius of the infected farm in Lioujia District (六甲) are to be monitored, but so far no other cases have been reported, the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine said.
It was the second confirmed case in the nation after Hualien County on Feb. 5 reported a dead gosling infected with the H5N6 virus at a Yuli Township (玉里) farm and the infection in that case was confirmed on Saturday.
A ban prohibiting the transportation of waterfowl from Hualien County to other parts of the nation was imposed on Monday last week and is to run through Tuesday next week.
However, the ban came a day too late for scores of workers in Yilan County.
Ducks from a farm within a 3km radius of where the infected gosling was found were transported to an Yilan slaughterhouse the day before the ban was announced.
That batch of ducks tested positive for the H5N6 virus and authorities said that all 3,787 frozen duck carcasses have been destroyed.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Philip Lo (羅一鈞) said that 245 people who had been within a 3km radius of where the dead gosling was found had been monitored for possible H5N6 avian flu infection last week, and 244 were removed from the watch list yesterday.
However, another 74 people are being monitored, Lo said.
The new group includes a farmer from Hualien who was a holdover from the first group, three drivers that transported the batch of ducks from that man’s farm to a slaughterhouse in Yilan County and 70 others, including slaughterhouse workers, veterinarians and disease-prevention personnel who took part in destroying duck carcasses at the slaughterhouse, Lo said.
They are to be monitored until Tuesday next week, he said.
Council of Agriculture Deputy Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) yesterday said the council has suggested to the Executive Yuan that it establish a “Central Epidemic Response Center” to prevent the virus from spreading.
The H5N6 avian flu virus has been reported in humans in China, which has prompted the CDC to remind people who work with poultry and birds to enhance disease prevention measures, wear surgical masks and seek medical attention immediately if flu-like symptoms occur.
In addition, the public should avoid touching live birds or picking up dead birds, and remember to cook eggs and poultry meat thoroughly, and wash hands thoroughly with soap after handling raw poultry or eggs, the agency said.
Additional reporting by Lin Yan-tung
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), a Taiwanese businessman and deputy convener of the nation’s National Climate Change Committee, said yesterday that “electrical power is national power” and nuclear energy is “very important to Taiwan.” Tung made the remarks, suggesting that his views do not align with the country’s current official policy of phasing out nuclear energy, at a forum organized by the Taiwan People’s Party titled “Challenges and Prospects of Taiwan’s AI Industry and Energy Policy.” “Taiwan is currently pursuing industries with high added- value and is developing vigorously, and this all requires electricity,” said the chairman
RSS