HUALIEN FARMS INFECTED WITH H5N6 VIRUS, 11,000 DUCKS CULLED |禁宰禁運令剛解除 花蓮2鴨場又傳H5N6

On Feb 24. right after the Council of Agriculture announced to lift the 7-day ban on poultry transport and slaughter, 2 duck farms in Hualien reported H5N6 virus infections. Meanwhile, a duck farm in Yilan, and a goose farm in Chiayi were confirmed with H5N2 cases. The COA said that all poultry in these farms have been culled, and stressed none have entered the markets. Wearing protective clothing, epidemic prevention workers arrived at Hualien's Fenglin Township to cull 11,000 ducks confirmed with H5N6 infections. On Feb.24, a new outbreak was reported in two duck farms in Hualien, after the Council of Agriculture announced to lift the 7-day ban on poultry transport and slaughter. In Yilan's Sanshing Township, a duck farm was confirmed to be infected with H5N2 virus. 5265 ducks were culled to prevent the virus from spreading. ==CHEN WEN-CHIN Animal and Plant Disease Control Center Chief, Yilan County== The ducks were bred in an open area. For poultry farms confirmed with H5 infections, they have to be changed into indoor farms. The government will provide assistance to farmers who want to continue breeding poultry in the future. In Chiayi's Budai Township, a poultry farm with over 3,300 geese were culled as a preventative measure on Feb.23. The COA said that although preventive measures were taken, there may still be cases of H5N6 bird flu reported after lifting the ban because of the cold weather. ==SHIH TAI-HUA Dep. Dir-gen, BAPGIQ, COA== These confirmed cases were found during the 7-day ban. However, there may still be cases reported in the future, because cold weather increases the chance of H5N6 infections among poultry. Experts reminded that there may still be H5N6 cases reported because the virus has not yet disappeared. ==LAI HSIU-SUI Emeritus professor, NTU School of Veterinary Medicine== It does not mean that the H5N6 virus has been cleared out. In fact, it still exists in the environment, in infected ducks which have not showed any symptoms, and in wild birds. According to the BAPHIQ, confirmed cases of H5N2 were found in five poultry farms in Yunlin on Feb.25.The COA said that free-range chickens at two of the poultry farms were culled, and increasing cases of highly pathogenic H5 avian virus infections are expected. TRANSLATED BY：ARIEL HSIEH 農委會才剛宣布，家禽「禁宰禁運」令，在24號零時解禁。但在24號傍晚，農委會，公布花蓮鳳林、有兩場養鴨場，驗出H5N6高病原禽流感病毒，全數要撲殺。另外，在宜蘭，有一處養鴨場，驗出H5高病原病毒，而嘉義布袋，有「養鵝場」的產蛋率下降，都先進行撲殺。農委會強調，這些病例，都是透過監測措施攔截，並沒有流入市面。 防疫人員身穿防護衣、全副武裝，上午來到花蓮鳳林的肉鴨場，執行撲殺任務，農委會才在週四傍晚宣布24號要解除家禽禁宰禁運七天的禁令，沒想到解禁當天，傍晚就確診花蓮兩處肉鴨場有H5N6，共撲殺1萬1千隻鴨。另外宜蘭縣動植物防疫所，清查H5N6確診場半徑五公里內禽場，主動監測三星一家肉鴨場，鴨子雖然看起來活蹦亂跳，但有H5高病原病毒，撲殺5265隻。 ==宜蘭縣動植物防疫所長 陳文進== 它是屬於開放式的一個養殖方式 對於復養來講的話 像這樣的確診場 將來復養的話 都一定改為室內或非開放式 政府也會全力的來協助跟輔導 而嘉義布袋，也有養了3300多隻鵝的禽場，主動通報產蛋率下降，23號已經執行預防性撲殺，農委會表示，禽農主動通報，加上鴨子上市前強制檢驗，都有助於攔截病毒，但也坦言，禁運宰令解除後又碰上冷氣團來襲，預期通報案例還會增加。 ==農委會防檢局副局長 施泰華== 這些病例都是在之前 禁宰運期間採樣檢測的 但是我們不排除未來 還是有病例的發生 因為這幾天的寒流 對雞隻會比較緊迫 有學者肯定農委會這次相對快速推出因應措施，但也提醒H5N6會繼續出現，病毒尚未消失。 ==台大獸醫學院名譽教授 賴秀穗== 不代表這個H5N6的病毒 已經被清除了 因為這H5N6的病毒 事實上還存在我們的環境 還有感染未發病的鴨 以及在野鳥中間 根據防檢局傍晚最新資料，已經撲殺的宜蘭三星肉鴨場，確診是H5N2高病原病毒，另外今天新確診病例有五場出現在雲林，全都是感染H5N2高病原，已經有兩場土雞撲殺，農委會表示病例增加是可預期的結果，否認防疫破功。 記者 林靜梅 陳昌維 綜合報導