Taiwan - Pigs infected with foot and mouth disease

Thirty pigs, which have been transported to a slaughterhouse for slaughter from a pig farm in Penghu Island, were found with vesicular lesions.

The incident was reported by the prefecture animal disease control competent authority and the sick pigs were immediately destroyed on 22 March 2011 after sampling. The prefecture animal disease control competent authority traced back to the farm of origin. The clinical investigation has shown that 110 pigs in the farm of origin have the same vesicular lesions. All pigs in the index farm were completely destroyed on 23 March 2011.

Enforced biosecurity measures including movement control, cleaning and disinfection have been implemented both in the slaughterhouse and the index farm.

The positive results of real-time PCR tests were provided by the national laboratory and confirmed that those pigs were infected with foot and mouth disease virus, serotype O.

One goat farm and one cattle farm within 3-km radius of the index farm have been under vigilant monitoring and no clinical or epidemiological evidence of infection has been found. All cloven-hoofed animal farms of Penghu Island have been put under movement control until the investigation was completed.