To prevent avian flu, the Council of Agriculture announces a seven-day ban on the transport and slaughter of poultry, with the exception of white broiler chickens

Following yesterday's expert meeting, where scholars recommended that the government impose a slaughter and transport ban to prevent the spread of avian flu, by this afternoon three more cases of highly pathogenic H5N6 avian flu had been confirmed in Chiayi and Tainan, prompting the Council of Agriculture to act swiftly and finalize a decision: starting from the early hours of tomorrow, the transport of poultry will be banned for seven days, and the slaughter ban will run for seven consecutive days starting at 12 noon, though white broiler chickens, which account for the bulk of the poultry meat market, are not covered by the restriction and may continue to be supplied to meet market demand.

After six confirmed cases of H5N6 avian flu in Hualien's Yuli and Yilan and other areas, this afternoon the Council of Agriculture confirmed successively that a small water duck in Guantian, Tainan, a silkie chicken in Puzi, Chiayi, and a native chicken in Yunlin were each infected with the highly pathogenic H5N6 virus, bringing the cumulative total across Taiwan to nine outbreak sites, with 3,747 poultry culled, and the outbreak now spanning five counties and cities: Hualien, Yilan, Chiayi, Tainan and Yunlin.