Avian influenza alert level to be raised, Lin Tsung-hsien's first move in office
The Council of Agriculture head handed over today, and with avian flu outbreaks gradually heating up recently, highly pathogenic H5N6 virus was even detected in dead geese, incoming Council head Lin Tsung-hsien stressed in his remarks that in order to keep H5N6 from spreading, avian flu alert levels would be raised immediately, and a Level 1 response would be activated within the council; in addition, he would go to the front line for inspection after tomorrow's Executive Yuan meeting, in the hope of fully controlling the development of the outbreak.
According to Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine statistics, a total of 13 highly pathogenic avian flu outbreaks occurred this year, with a total of 127,792 poultry culled, but most of the cases were concentrated in Yunlin County, and H5N6 virus was recently detected in dead geese; in response, Lin Tsung-hsien pointed out in his remarks that although the poultry at these farms had all been culled according to regulations, given the impact of recent climate conditions, the outbreak alert should be raised immediately, and he also declared that the council's alert would immediately be raised to Level 1, with a response center established at the same time.
In addition, Lin emphasized that tomorrow he would go to inspect the front-line checkpoints on site and talk with grassroots personnel to see where things could be done better, and while fully implementing movement controls in high-alert epidemic areas, ensure that not only Hualien, Taitung and Yilan, but epidemic prevention mechanisms in counties and cities nationwide are fully activated.
On the disease control side, Lin Tsung-hsien also stressed that he had already spoken by phone with incoming Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, hoping the Centers for Disease Control would have vaccines ready so that poultry farm workers and related personnel could receive preventive shots first to prevent infection; moreover, if hospitals in various areas detect any related disease trends, a reporting mechanism would be activated immediately, the goal being to hold the line against the avian flu outbreak.