Taiwan Monitoring China's African Swine Fever Outbreaks|中國"非洲豬瘟"疫情 往南蔓延至浙江

China is in the midst of an African swine fever epidemic which has a mortality rate of 100 percent. On Aug. 23, an outbreak was confirmed in Zhejiang Province's Wenzhou.The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine says this case shows that the virus has already spread to the south of the Yangtze River basin. If it continues its onslaught towards coastal provinces, it will become a greater threat to Taiwan.


The African swine fever epidemic continues to spread through China. On Aug. 20, China Central Television reported the epidemic situation was already "effectively contained." However, a new case emerged on Aug. 23 in Zhejiang Province, and CCTV changed the status to "effectively handled."

On Aug. 17, the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine Bureau in Yueqing in Zhejiang's Wenzhou City received a report that the live swine belonging to three cultivators in a certain cultivation zone had died from unknown causes. At present, 430 have been infected and 340 have died. This outbreak has already been effectively handled.

China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said it has already activated blockade and culling measures. Live swine and products susceptible to infection have been banned from entering or leaving the blockade zone. Meanwhile, Taiwan's Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ) says China has already experienced outbreaks in six provinces, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Henan, Jiangsu and now Zhejiang. Moreover, the virus has already spread to south of the Yangtze River basin. If it continues to spread towards coastal provinces, the threat to Taiwan will become greater.

The worst-case scenario would be (losses of) over NT$200 billion. In other words, in addition to the swine industry and farmers, related industries will also be affected. Examples include equipment manufacturers, feed producers and drug manufacturers.

Yesterday, they reported another case, this time in Zhejiang's Wenzhou. The virus has already spread from north to south to reach the Yangtze River basin. The majority of Chinese provinces that raise swine is on that side of the Yangtze River, so it's very close to us.

The BAPHIQ has already asked the Lienchiang County Government to send personnel to inspect hog farms in the county. The situation is normal at two hog farms with 150 hogs each. The bureau adds China informed the World Organisation for Animal Health that it culled 10,000 swine. However, the foreign media reports over 100,000 have been culled, showing China is not being completely transparent. Taiwan needs to step up its border inspections. The bureau will also ask domestic flight kitchens to destroy the kitchen waste brought back to Taiwan from other countries to ensure the virus won't be spread to Taiwan's swine through pigwash.