Healthy Taiwan pigs test positive for routine FMD checks
Taiwanese officials have reported a number of healthy pigs to have tested positive to Foot-and-Mouth Disease to the Animal Health Organization (OIE).
The discoveries were reported on March 3 – dealing with two pig farms in Tainan Special Municipality (south west Taiwan) and one in Nantou Province (central Taiwan).
During routine checks, on a total of 3,653 clinically healthy swine on the three farms altogether, 34 pigs appeared to be positive in ELISA tests – non-structural proteins and antibodies were found. When serum and throat swab samples were tested using virus isolation and a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), however, results were negative.
No evidence of infection
Monitoring continues – but no clinical or epidemiological evidence of infection was found.
The two farms in Tainan Special Municipality were both located in its Yanshuei District. The biggest farm has 2,319 pigs; the other 770 pigs. Numbers of suspect pigs were nine and 16 respectively.
The outbreak in Nantou Province was found in Jhushan Township. This farm counted a total of 564 pigs; nine of them tested positively.
It is unknown how the results could originate. Measures applied include the restriction of the movement of animals and quarantine. No animals were culled. The animals were not treated or vaccinated.
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