HIGHLY PATHOGENIC H5N6 AVAIN INFLUENZA OUTBREAKS SPREAD|H5N6禽流感疫情擴大 花.宜.南均檢出

Earlier this month, a goose in Yuli Township in Hualien was confirmed to be H5N6 positive. Later, a slaughter house in Yilan was also reported H5N6 bird flu detection. The viruses found are quite similar to the ones identified in the bird flu outbreaks in Japan and South Korea. On February 9, a turkey farm in Tainan reported more than 3,000 turkey deaths, which later proved to be caused by H5N6 influenza virus infection. The Council of Agriculture will inform the Executive Yuan to establish a central emergency response center to contain the situation. Taiwan reported its first highly pathogenic H5N6 avian influenza detections. On February 9, a goose in Hualien's Yuli Township was discovered to be H5N6 positive. Later on, a slaughter house in Yilan found its geese sourced from Yuli Township to be infected with H5N6 and H5N2. Tainan also reported more than 3,000 turkey deaths caused by H5N6 influenza virus infection. ==HUANG TZE-CHUNG Director General, Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine== There are currently 16 H5N6 infected cases and 11 human deaths reported in China. Those infected are usually the ones who have frequent contact with poultry in their daily life. There's no need for the general public to worry too much. According to the Council of Agriculture, the viruses in Taiwan's H5N6 cases were similar to the ones in the bird flu outbreaks in Japan and South Korea. With H5N6 viruses spreading in Taiwan and H5N2 bird flu cases confirmed in Yunlin's turkey farms, people are worried that the situation may be out of control. ==LAI SHIOW-SUEY Professor Emeritus, National Taiwan University== If H5N6 viruses spread in Taiwan, where four highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses have already been found, genetic recombinations are highly likely to occur and give rise to new types of viruses that may infect humans. Scholars worry that the multiple avian influenza viruses in Taiwan might mutate into new virus types. As of now, 120,000 poultry have already been put down. Until February 21, waterfowls and landfowls in Hualien are not allowed to be exported. Meanwhile, Tainan City will continue to take samples of ducks to monitor the spread of viruses. A central emergency response center will be established to contain the situation. TRANSLATED BY：LUKE CHIANG 2月初，花蓮玉里首度發現幼鵝感染會禽傳人的H5N6病毒，之後在宜蘭屠宰場攔截到一批鴨隻，也檢出H5N6禽流感，與日韓爆發的病毒相似度極高，2月9日台南一處火雞場出現3千多隻火雞暴斃，也已經確認感染H5N6病毒，因此，農委會將通報行政院，成立中央應變中心，全面動員防疫。 禽流感疫情一波接一波，2月9日花蓮玉里的一隻幼鵝，被檢出感染H5N6禽流感，沒想到在宜蘭屠宰場攔截到一批感染H5N6及H5N2禽流感的鴨隻，同樣也是來自花蓮玉里，而台南六甲的火雞場，3千多隻火雞暴斃，也確定檢出H5N6病毒，這是台灣第一次出現禽傳人的禽流感病毒。 ==農委會防檢局 黃㯖昌== H5N6的話在大陸 到目前大概通報 有16個被感染的案例 但是有11個人死亡 會感染的通常都是跟家禽 有密初接觸的那種歷史的人 所以社會大眾也不用太恐慌 農委會指出，檢出的H5N6禽流感，與日韓爆發的禽流感病毒極相似，而H5N6病毒從東台灣擴大到西半部，連台南的火雞場也淪陷，再加上2月初，雲林有三家火雞場檢出H5N2禽流感，疫情是否會失控，讓人很憂心。 ==台大獸醫學院榮譽教授 賴秀穗== 如果我們這個H5N6 也在台灣變成在地化 前面已經有四種高病原性的 這個禽流感病毒在台灣 這個基因重組的機會就會很大 基因重組以後 病毒有可能會產生一種新型病毒 對於這種人的感染 就會造成威脅 學者憂心多種禽流感病毒在台灣的重組機會高，可能變異出可怕的新型病毒，而今年到目前為止，防檢局已經撲殺了12萬隻家禽，2月21日之前，除水禽外，同時禁止陸禽運出花蓮，台南市則優先對鴨隻採樣監測，以確認毒是否有擴散的跡象，同時，農委會將通報行政院，成立中央應變中心，全面動員防疫。 記者 台北綜合報導