The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has reported that Taiwan has been hit with Foot and Mouth Disease.
Some of the feeder pigs at a quarantine station, which were transported from Taiwan Island to Penghu Island, were found with vesicular lesions.
Tests were carried out and showed that of the collected samples from the National Laboratory there was a positive reaction of RT-PCR tests confirming the serotype O of Foot and Mouth Disease infection.
All 239 the pigs were destroyed and cleaning and disinfection of the premises were completed. Clinical inspection and epidemiological investigation were conducted on the origin pig farm in Taiwan and surrounding farms that keep cloven-hoofed animals within 3-km radius of the index premise (a total of 1 cattle/goat/deer farm, 1 goat/pig farm, 1 deer farm, 5 goat farms and 7 cattle farms); the results showed the animals were in healthy condition and no clinical or epidemiological evidence of infection was found.
Further tests of samples collected from the slaughtered feeder pigs are on-going.