Although the bird flu epidemic is winding down across the country, government agencies should remain on the alert and make every effort to help bring the poultry industry back on its feet, Vice Premier Chang San-cheng said at the eighth meeting of the Executive Yuan avian influenza response center today.
Simply restoring poultry farms to their original states at their original sites will not be enough to prevent another bird flu epidemic, Chang said. Central and local governments should review laws and regulations and begin restructuring the industry. Restoration efforts should also wait until affected farms and those on their periphery have strong control measures in place so as to ensure the industry's sustainable development, he added.
The Council of Agriculture (COA) reported that the number of infections has declined with only one or two farms sending samples for testing each day and none over the past two days. Duck farms located within 1 kilometer of an infected farm will remain under supervision for three months.
According to the United Nations' statement on H5N8 highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry and wild birds, the virus likely originated in poultry and has probably been able to spill into wild birds and back into poultry. Therefore, most H5N8 control measures should focus on poultry farms and bird markets including quarantine, stamping out, strict biosecurity, cleaning and disinfection, and trade and movement restrictions. The COA said it has already implemented these suggestions in Taiwan.
At an international conference on avian flu control held by the COA on March 11, scientists pointed out that the novel H5 subtype virus isolated in Taiwan is a combination of the H5N8 strain from Korea and an influenza virus found in wild fowl. The Taiwan strain belongs in the same clade 2.3.4.4 as the Korean H5N8 variant.
Foreign experts at the conference affirmed Taiwan's aggressive containment efforts. Amid the growing avian flu threat, they recommended that Taiwan strengthen basic prevention infrastructure, take biosecurity measures, encourage early reporting, and dispose of suspected infections promptly.
At today's meeting, the COA also reported on strategies and measures for restoring poultry production. Aside from helping farmers obtain business loans and extending the repayment period by a year, the council is planning to set up enclosed-type chicken pens in six locations in Yunlin County and other hard-hit areas to serve as models for farmers to follow.
The COA has also formed an industry recovery technical service group comprising 60 experts and scientists and will be offering 40 training courses for workers in the poultry industry. These courses—targeting poultry farmers, live bird processing plant operators and poultry transporters—aim to help familiarize farmers and businesses with basic disease containment concepts and strengthen their own protective measures so as to prevent another bird flu epidemic from occurring.