Highly pathogenic avian influenza is not limited to H5N8; there is also a novel H5N2 virus, genetically similar to cases in South Korea and China.

The Council of Agriculture stated that the highly pathogenic avian influenza that has caused a high mortality rate at these waves of duck and goose farms includes not only the H5N8 avian influenza virus seen for the first time in Taiwan, but also a novel H5N2 virus. The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine stated that today it has confirmed that 4 goose farms in Yunlin County are infected with the novel H5N2 avian influenza, 1 breeder goose farm in Chiayi County is confirmed to be infected with H5N8 avian influenza similar to the South Korean strain, and 1 layer duck farm in Pingtung County is infected with the novel H5N2 avian influenza.

The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine stated that after analysis of the virus, it was confirmed that the H5N8 avian influenza virus is most similar to the H5N8 strain that broke out in South Korea in 2014. As for the novel H5N2 avian influenza virus discovered this time, it is different from the H5N2 virus strains found in Taiwan over the past ten years; the H gene is up to 99% similar to South Korean H5, while the N gene sequence is up to 96% similar to the N2 found in Jilin Province, mainland China in 2011.

Wang Cheng-teng, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Agriculture, stated that after discussion at an expert meeting, it was concluded that these two avian influenza viruses newly appearing in Taiwan most likely entered Taiwan through migratory birds. Tsai Hsiang-jung, Director of the Animal Health Research Institute, stated that analysis of the cleavage site sequence of these two novel viruses shows they carry six basic amino acids, indicating that their lethality to chickens is also very high; therefore, it is now necessary to strictly prevent these two novel avian influenza viruses from spreading from waterfowl to chickens.