April 13, 2026

 

Taiwan's gets back ASF-free status

 

 

Taiwan has restored its status as a self-declared African swine fever (ASF)-free area with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the Ministry of Agriculture announced early this month.

 

Following WOAH's acknowledgement, Taiwan is once again the only country in Asia free of the three major swine diseases — foot-and-mouth disease, classical swine fever and ASF, the ministry said in a statement.

 

WOAH in May last year had recognised Taiwan's self-declaration of freedom from African swine fever (ASF), with the country becoming the first in Asia to hold disease-free status for all three swine diseases, but Taiwan in October reported its first-ever ASF case involving a farm outbreak in Taichung.

 

Pigs are pictured in a hog pen in Pingtung County on August 31 last year.

 

The case was formally closed and reported to WOAH on January 23 in accordance with required procedures, after the affected farm was cleaned and disinfected, and all samples collected after November 21 last year came back negative.

 

The ministry said it submitted an application on February 21 to regain self-declared ASF-free status.

 

"The application passed WOAH's rigorous review in just over one month, far faster than its original estimate," the ministry said.

 

It had originally estimated that it would take six to eight months to regain the status.

 

The result "demonstrates Taiwan's thorough preparation and familiarity with international animal quarantine standards... It also highlights Taiwan's strong epidemic prevention resilience," the ministry said.

 

- Taipei Times