Animal transport vehicles that are not disinfected will be fined 30,000 to 150,000 yuan

The avian influenza outbreak has not stopped, and this year 952 premises have been confirmed as infected with the H5 subtype avian influenza; all have now been culled. To strengthen epidemic control, last month the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine pre-announced new "disinfection measures" regulations, requiring live animal transport operators to thoroughly carry out disinfection at key points such as farms and slaughterhouses, and these regulations were officially announced and took effect today (the 2nd). The Bureau reminds operators that they must implement the relevant regulations, otherwise they may be fined 30,000 to 150,000 yuan.

As of 6 p.m. yesterday (the 1st), the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine had statistics showing that a total of 15 counties and cities had submitted 983 suspected case premises for testing, of which 952 were confirmed as H5 subtype avian influenza and 1 was H6N1 subtype avian influenza. The latest H5 subtype case premises were a meat duck farm in Chiayi and a free-range chicken farm in Yunlin. The 952 confirmed case premises have now been culled, with a cumulative total of about 5 million birds culled; in addition, the Bureau also conducted sampling and inspections of duck farms and poultry farms within 1 kilometer of the affected areas.

At the same time, in order to strengthen the control of avian influenza and other animal disease outbreaks, last month the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine pre-announced the regulations on "Cleaning and Disinfection Measures for Animal Transport Vehicles and Loading Crates and Cages" (referred to as the "Disinfection Measures"), requiring that all vehicle bodies, tires, animal cages, vehicle driver foot mats, work shoes, etc. used to transport live animals must be disinfected in the designated manner when entering or leaving farms, livestock farms, slaughterhouses, and downstream markets.

During disinfection, cleaning must proceed from the driver and cab to the exterior of the vehicle body, using clean water and a solution containing soap or detergent to remove bedding, feathers and other materials, supplemented by even spraying of disinfectant and allowing it to act for a period of time.

Drivers transporting live animals must also prepare an "Animal Transport Vehicle and Loading Crate and Cage Cleaning and Disinfection Record Form", recording the loading and disinfection situation of the day one by one, and have it received and kept by personnel at farms, cargo handling areas, poultry markets, meat markets, and slaughterhouses for inspection. The "record form" must be kept for one year for verification.

The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine stated that according to international epidemiological investigation data, animal diseases are easily spread through transport vehicles and loading crates and cages; the "Disinfection Measures" were also formulated based on recommendations from scholars and experts, industry groups, and county and city epidemic prevention agencies, and the measures officially took effect today (2); operators who fail to comply with the regulations and refuse to improve after being advised, or who violate them again within one year, may be fined 3 to 150,000 yuan under the "Animal Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act".