Taiwan has experienced several bouts of cold weather since the Lunar New Year, escalating the avian influenza epidemic. The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine confirmed an outbreak of avian influenza at a free range poultry farm in Yunlin's Kouhu Township on Feb. 17. Tests showed the presence of both the H5N2 and H5N5 viruses. Yunlin's Animal Disease Control Center has already culled 32,400 chickens.


This is a free range poultry farm located in Yunlin County's Kouhu Township. The farm experienced a series of abnormal poultry deaths on Feb. 12 and 13, and the county's Animal Disease Control Center was immediately notified. The center sent specialists to conduct tests, and they discovered that some of the poultry exhibited typical avian influenza symptoms. They immediately restricted the movement of the poultry and took samples for testing.

On the afternoon of Feb. 16, we discovered that the poultry at this farm was infected with the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N2 and H5N5 viruses. This circumstance can still be considered rare in this country. So far, there is no evidence showing cross-infection between these two causes of disease.

The center said that after avian influenza was confirmed, 32,400 free range chickens were culled on Feb. 17. Taiwan has experienced several bouts of cold weather recently. So far this year, there have been 12 instances of an avian influenza diagnosis and the subsequent culling in Yunlin County, which is higher than the five recorded in the same period in 2019.

Temperatures have generally been low since the Lunar New Year. The same period in 2019 was considered to be a warm spring, so there are risks for the immunity of poultry and the epidemic situation.

The center added there have been no reports of avian influenza jumping to humans in Taiwan so far. Moreover, the government has three checkpoints in place from raising to slaughtering. Poultry is safe to consume, and poultry farmers have also been asked to take precautionary measures to lower the possibility of infection.



位在雲林口湖鄉這場土雞場，這個月12號、13號連續兩天，發現雞隻異常死亡，馬上通報雲林動植物防疫所，經防疫所人員查驗，發現部分罹病雞隻有禽流感典型病徵，馬上開立移動處分書，限制全場雞隻移動並採樣送檢。

雲林縣動植物防疫所技正 鄭安國表示：「在16號下午，發現該禽場禽隻，同時罹患有H5N2跟H5N5，兩種高病原性禽流感，那這種情形來講的話，在國內還是少見，但目前來講，並沒有證據顯示說，兩個病源之間，會有什麼樣的交叉感染。」

雲林防疫所表示，這雞場確診禽流感後，在17號已完成撲殺共3萬2400多隻土雞，但近期好幾波寒流來襲，今年雲縣內已累積12例確診禽流感撲殺，比去年同期累積5場還要多。

雲林縣動植物防疫所技正 鄭安國表示：「開春以來，整個氣溫是偏低，那108年同時間，是屬於一個暖春情形，所以這部分來講，家禽的抵抗力，以及分布的距離來講，對疫情來講，都有相當風險存在。」

防疫所表示，目前台灣禽流感並沒無禽傳人的報告，而且政府部門從飼養到屠宰，有三道防線幫消費大眾把關，禽肉上市衛生安全無虞，已呼籲養禽業者做防備，降低禽流感疫情發生。