H5N8 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Appears in Taiwan, China for the First Time, Four Counties and Cities Affected

Recently, ducks and geese at waterfowl farms in central and southern Taiwan, China, have been dying at a high rate from unknown causes in quick succession, and the egg production rate of laying ducks has dropped. The outbreak has spread across four counties and cities in central and southern Taiwan, China, including Pingtung County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County and Tainan City, all of which have raised their animal epidemic prevention levels and are carrying out inspections of the waterfowl farms and chicken farms under their jurisdiction. Tsai Hsiang-jung, director of the Animal Health Research Institute under the Council of Agriculture, speculated that the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus causing the mass deaths of waterfowl is a new avian influenza virus, different from the H5N2 virus strain often found at chicken farms in the past. Whether the virus strain is the same as the H5N8 that has broken out in Europe and neighboring countries is still being analyzed.

Later, Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Bao-ji said today that the avian influenza virus strain at the Chiayi breeding goose farm where the outbreak was reported has been confirmed as H5N8. It is the first time it has been found in Taiwan, China, and it may have been spread to Taiwan, China by migratory birds.

The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine said that according to the ruling of an expert meeting on avian influenza, the goose farm in Dalin, Chiayi County, has been confirmed as a highly pathogenic H5N8 avian influenza case, and the entire farm must be culled. According to information provided by the Chiayi County Agriculture Department, the operator surnamed Chen in Dalin Township has a total of 13 breeding goose farms, with about 80,000 to 100,000 birds raised, producing about 2 million goslings a year, accounting for about 30% of the province's annual gosling output. In this outbreak, the operator surnamed Chen reported 5 farms; these 5 farms raised about 37,000 birds in total, and 10,000 have already died.

As for the H5N2 virus strain that previously infected the Dawushan laying hen farm in Pingtung, Tsai Hsiang-jung said it is the same as the H5N2 virus strain commonly seen at chicken farms in the past.

Areas South of Changhua May Become an Epidemic Zone; Goose Farming Industry Suffers the Most