Kinmen slaughters 530 pigs in foot and mouth epidemic

Kinmen County authorities suspect the epidemic was triggered by an imported pig, but an investigation to determine the pig's country of origin was still underway, according to reports published a day earlier by the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine under the Council of Agriculture (COA).

The bureau's Kinmen division reported a number of pigs developing blisters on Jan. 30, and 74 animals were slaughtered as a preventive measure. Another 455 pigs were destroyed on Feb. 1 and 2.

Kinmen County has a total of 110 pig farms, and 17,000 pigs.

The virus strand in the recent outbreak is the same type of virus that caused a foot and mouth epidemic in Japan and South Korea in 2011 and can be transmitted to cows, sheep, pigs and deer, the bureau said.

An analysis of the nucleic acids of the virus found in pigs killed on Feb. 2 showed the strand to be different from the virus behind thefoot and mouth disease epidemics in Taiwan in 1997 and 1999, thebureau said.

In 1999, the foot and mouth disease that struck Taiwan only affected cows and not pigs, and no further cases were reported afterthe disease was brought under control. Only pigs were affected in the1997 outbreak, the bureau said.

Kinmen County has implemented clinical inspections of hoofed animals within 3 kilometers of the farms found with the disease, andall hoofed animals in the county are to receive one additional vaccination.

Hygiene and disinfection procedures in slaughterhouses are also tobe improved during this period, and no local pork, beef, lamb or deer can be exported to Taiwan proper, the bureau said.

Subscribe to The China Post and save 25%. Click here

PrintEmail

Write a Comment

Terms

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos
 Respond to this email