October 30, 2012

Taiwan has been hit by fresh cases of foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease at two pig farms in the Yilan County.

The Council of Agriculture has taken preventive measures at the sites, the councils Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine said.

Inspectors from the local centre arrived at the farm to take samples and enforce transfer controls immediately after receiving the information, the bureau said, adding that inspection results showed that 144 of the 888 pigs at the farm had prior illnesses, and initial results confirmed that they had been infected by foot-and-mouth disease.

In addition, after expanding inspections to a three-kilometre zone around the farm, similar symptoms were discovered in 245 pigs at nearby farm that breeds 962 pigs, the bureau said.

After having the samples tested and the infection confirmed by the councils, Animal Health Research Institute, the local centre slaughtered 381 pigs in the evening, disinfected the area and reinforced vaccine injections, according to regulations.

The bureau said the initial investigation showed that the pigs from the two farms were transported in the same vehicle, and the infection may have occurred then.