December 22, 2023

Taiwan implements stricter inspections on Chinese imports following ASF discovery

Taiwan's Ministry of Agriculture has mandated X-ray inspections for all luggage and packages arriving from China, following the detection of a new strain of the African swine fever (ASF) virus in imported spicy sausage, Taipei Times reported.

The National Institute for Animal Health revealed that the genetic recombination of the virus entered China from Portugal in 2018 and has proven to be highly pathogenic and transmissible.

China confirmed its first case of the new virus last year, leading to subsequent cases in Jiangsu, Henan provinces, and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Despite efforts to contain the virus with a new ASF vaccine, its spread has not been curtailed, according to the institute.

Acting Minister of Agriculture, Chen Junne-jih, emphasised the importance of intercepting and blocking the virus at the border to safeguard Taiwan's swine industry. With the approaching holiday season, the ministry has intensified inspections of luggage and packages, applying X-ray examinations to items from China, Southeast Asian nations, and other ASF-affected regions.

Chen also stated that Chunghwa Post has sought assistance from the ministry's quarantine dogs, and a higher percentage of parcels from China will undergo inspection. The Coast Guard Administration is set to enhance efforts to combat smuggling of Chinese products into outlying islands.

In addition to the ASF concerns, the ministry is closely monitoring the potential outbreak of avian flu in chicken farms due to migratory birds seeking shelter in Taiwan. Chen urged chicken farm operators to install nets to prevent migratory birds from entering farms and increase inspections if bird faeces contain avian flu viruses.

-      Taipei Times