Kaohsiung Sees First Case of African Swine Fever Products 高雄首例 荷葉豬肉驗出非洲豬瘟病毒

On Aug. 23, police seized 16 kilos of meat products imported from Vietnam in the possession of two women. It was officially confirmed that products were contaminated with African swine fever and became the first such case in Kaohsiung.

The plastic bag is filled with meat wrapped in lotus leaves. This is a common Vietnamese cold dish. On Aug. 23, the Kaohsiung police seized 16 kilos of meat products brought over from Vietnam, including beef jerky, chicken meat strips, and pork wrapped in lotus leaves, in the possession of two women. The pork in lotus leaves tested positive for African swine fever.

Tuan Chi-han, Dep. Dir., Animal Protection Office, Agriculture Bureau, Kaohsiung City:” The Kaohsiung City Government is cooperating with the Council of Agriculture's policy and is trying to trace downstream manufacturers. It asked the police and government units to seize products in Daliao District. The Agriculture Bureau's Animal Protection Office helped with sampling. Samples of meat wrapped in lotus leaves that were sent for testing, about 300 grams of cooked food, tested positive for the African swine fever virus.” 

Numerous Vietnamese products such as instant noodles are on sale at this grocery store. The meat wrapped in lotus leaves that tested positive for ASF was being sold at this store in Daliao District. The Vietnamese store proprietor said she too is a victim, and she purchased the meat products through Facebook for NT$140 per bag. She explained she purchased the products because she was homesick, and she ate some of them.

Grocery Store Proprietor:” I ate them and there was only one piece left. (Only one piece left). Yes. (So you ate four of them.) Someone else came and purchased the last piece.”

Grocery Store Proprietor's Mother-in-Law:” We don't specialize in selling this. We also don't know (where it came from).” 

The central and local governments have stepped up their efforts to investigate stores and hog farms to prevent African swine fever. The Animal Protection Office says selling products contaminated with ASF online may violate the Statute for Prevention and Control of Infectious Animal Diseases and be punishable by fines of up to NT$150,000. The punishment for smuggling such meat products is up to seven years in prison and a maximum NT$3 million fine. 

塑膠袋裡裝著一條條綠色的荷葉包肉，這是越南當地常見的涼菜。高雄林園分局方23號查獲，2名女子持有約16公斤、來自越南的牛肉乾、雞肉絲及荷葉豬肉等肉製品，沒想到當中的荷葉豬肉竟被驗出非洲豬瘟病毒。

高市農業局動保處副處長 段奇漢：「高雄市政府為配合農委會的政策追查下游廠商，要求警政單位在我們大寮區來查扣，農業局動保處配合採樣。送驗的所謂荷葉包肉，大概300克熟食被檢驗出有非洲豬瘟的病毒基因。」

雜貨店貨架上擺著許多越南泡麵等食品，含有非洲豬瘟病毒的荷葉包肉，就是從大寮這家雜貨店賣出，但雜貨店也喊冤表示自己也是受害者，肉品是透過臉書購買、一包140元，越南籍老闆娘因懷念家鄉味才會訂購，自己也有吃。

雜貨店老闆娘：「吃剩一份 (只剩一份)，對 (所以吃了四份)，人家來，就是最後一份人家來買。」

老闆娘的婆婆：「我們不是專門在賣這個，就這樣子，我們也不知道(來源)。」

為防堵非洲豬瘟，中央及地方近期大動作查緝各地店家或養豬場，動保處提醒網路販售含非洲豬瘟肉製品，可能涉犯動物傳染病防治條例，可處15萬以下的罰鍰，若走私這樣的肉製品，也將面臨7年以下有期徒刑及3百萬元以下罰金，提醒民眾不要以身試法。