Latest African Swine Fever Update: Pork Products Carried by Passengers at Taoyuan Airport Test Positive for African Swine Fever Again

A Chinese passenger illegally brought ham sausage from Nanjing, China, and it tested positive for the African swine fever virus. Is this true?
The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine said today (the 10th) that 2 more cases of African swine fever virus genes have been detected in Chinese pork products carried into the country by passengers at Taoyuan Airport. The bureau said these are the 11th and 12th cases since October last year in which African swine fever virus genes were detected in meat products illegally carried by passengers.

The bureau explained that the 2 pork products were ham sausage brought in from Nanjing by a Chinese passenger on December 28 last year, and Harbin red sausage brought back by a passenger from Taiwan, China. Both entered through Taoyuan Airport and were seized by the Hsinchu branch of the bureau. Each was fined 200,000 yuan, and the meat products were confiscated and destroyed after sampling.

The bureau said that for penalty cases involving passengers illegally carrying meat products into the country, from December 18 last year, when the penalty amount was raised, to January 9 this year, there were 50 cases nationwide with a fine of 200,000 yuan, 89 cases with 30,000 yuan, and 15 cases with 10,000 yuan. The bureau reiterated the principle of do not carry meat products and do not buy foreign meat products online for shipment to Taiwan. Violators will face heavy penalties, and the public is reminded not to test the law.