First man-to-pig flu infection under control: COA

Officials at the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine under the COA said 160 piglets under the age of five weeks among a herd of 3,400 pigs at a pig farm in southeastern Taitung County were tested positive for the infection with swine flu in the morning.

The test was conducted after the farm reported that some of the piglets have shown symptoms of coughing and diarrhea.

Officials at the bureau immediately expanded the testing and gave educational crash courses on how to handle the outbreak to the pig farmer and those in an area of one kilometer.

The health of the infected piglets gradually improved in the afternoon and no other pigs in the neighborhood were affected, showing no evidence that the virus to have spread.

Officials said this was the first case uncovered after the bureau launched a monitoring system covering all pig farms on the island since January this year.

The bureau has been extending a thorough test for all pigs in a greater region of three kilometers.

Monitoring and control measures were carried out in line with World Organization of Animal Health (OIE) standards, the officials explained.

Other nations that have reported man-to-pig flu infection cases included Australia, Japan, the United States, Canada, Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, and Argentina.

COA officials said the first case uncovered here was identical with similar infections in these nations. The infected pigs would gradually recover by themselves with no threats of transmitting the virus back to humans, they said.

But the case warrants stepped-up training courses for the management of pig farms in Taiwan, including giving herds necessary vaccines, close monitoring of staff's health, washing of hands and changing of clothes and boots by the staff, wearing masks when necessary, and maintaining good ventilation at the farms, said the officials.

The case in Taitung sent an alarm to health officials in all other counties. They have increased field inspections to enforce rules set by the COA plus regular cleaning and disinfection operations at pig farms in their areas.

Officials in Taipei County said they have placed all pig farms and their livestock under tighter monitoring with more stringent disinfection operations.

Farm owners will see their pigs destroyed immediately if their neglect causes any infection cases, they said.

Pig farmers in southern Tainan and Kaohsiung counties, which together boast a combined number of over 3,000 pig farms, and southwestern Yunlin County which has 1.45 million pigs, have also enhanced prevention operations.

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