A chicken farm in Taoyuan confirmed a highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza case on March 8
A chicken farm in Puxin Village, Dayuan District, Taoyuan City was monitored by disease prevention personnel, and last night a highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza virus was confirmed. Chang Shu-hsien, Director-General of the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine under the Council of Agriculture, said the chicken farm is adjacent to a goose farm where avian influenza had already broken out, and transmission cannot be ruled out; the Taoyuan City Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office will cull the birds today and tomorrow.
Chang Shu-hsien said the chicken farm has 19,000 broiler chickens. White broiler houses are usually not open-sided, but if the owner fails to implement good biosecurity measures, and there is also a case farm nearby, the virus could enter.
Poultry farms confirmed with avian influenza outbreaks are listed as case farms, and disease prevention agencies will continue to strengthen monitoring of poultry farms within a 1-kilometer radius. This time, the chicken farm in Dayuan District was within 1 kilometer of the goose farm where the avian influenza outbreak occurred, and Chang Shu-hsien said the pathogen may have come from the neighboring poultry farm.
She pointed out that in the past, chicken farms monitored for avian influenza in Taoyuan all had the old type with 4 viral bases, but this time 6 viral bases were detected, indicating higher pathogenicity; however, because the clinical signs are not obvious and the mortality rate is not high, the owner may not necessarily report it.
After confirmation, case farms are culled according to regulations, and monitoring of surrounding poultry farms will also be strengthened, Chang Shu-hsien said. Case farms must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, with feed and poultry manure cleared and destroyed, and left empty for 21 days; after that, they must apply to the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine for a sentinel chicken test. A poultry farm must monitor at least 20 sentinel chickens, and after it is confirmed that there is no virus, the operator must also attend a 6-hour class in one day to strengthen hygiene awareness before being allowed to apply to resume raising poultry.