12.01.2015

Taiwan confirmed a case of avian influenza H5N8 in a goose breeding farm in Chiayi County. Abnormal mortality was noticed and reported to the local disease control center by the owner of the breeding goose farm. Two dead geese were taken from the farm for diagnosis and the farm has been put under movement restrictions since then. Specific RNA product of avian influenza virus was detected and subtyped as H5N8 by RT-PCR. Highly pathogenic avian influenza was confirmed by the National Laboratory. This is the first time that the H5N8 strain has been detected in Taiwan. The Chiayi County government began culling more than 1,500 geese at the farm on Sunday and a ban on the movement of poultry in Pingtung, Tainan and Yunlin counties has been imposed.