#13,813
Earlier this week, in Taiwan Intercepts More ASF Contaminated Food Being Brought Into The Country, we saw the 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th interdiction of African Swine Fever contaminated pork products entering from China since the outbreak began on the Mainland nearly 6 months ago.
Yesterday, Japanese media reported (see below) four more interceptions at international airports (Chubu Airport (3), Haneda Airport (1)) Japan as well. Once again, all originating from Mainland China.
African swine fever, 4 cases confirmed
Baggage of passengers from China
2019/1/25 18:37
Right now, and for the next several weeks, hundreds of millions of Asians (and others) will travel home or visit relatives for the Lunar New Year to partake in traditional family gatherings.
More than 2 billion passenger trips are recorded in the weeks just before and after this important holiday, making this the largest annual human migration on earth.Carried with them, beyond the plethora of respiratory viruses circulating this time of year, are often gifts of food. While ASF contaminated food products pose no health risk to humans, they can help spread the virus to new regions, where they may make their way into either commercial or wild pigs.
Previously we've seen the FAO describe how easily ASF can cross borders, and even oceans.
A robust virus with a long lifeDespite these concerns, and explicit warnings posted at airports, people continue to try to bring in or ship potentially contaminated pork products (see Australia Interdicts ASF Positive Food At Their Border ) out of ASF endemic regions.
The ASF virus is very hardy and can survive long periods in very cold and very hot weather, and even in dried or cured pork products. The strain detected in China is similar to one that infected pigs in eastern Russia in 2017 but, so far, and while the investigations continue, the China Animal Health and Epidemiology Center has found no conclusive evidence of this latest outbreak's source or linkages.
"The movement of pig products can spread diseases quickly and, as in this case of African Swine Fever, it's likely that the movement of such products, rather than live pigs, has caused the spread of the virus to other parts of China," explained Juan Lubroth, FAO's Chief Veterinarian.
In late 2018, after already intercepting roughly a dozen ASF-positive food samples, for the second time in recent months Taiwan Raised Smuggling Fines To Prevent Entry Of The Disease.
In September Taiwan had raised the penalty for illegally bringing in raw pork from China to a maximum of NT$15,000 - or about $480 US. In December, as the risks of importing the virus continued to rise, Taiwan raised the maximum fine to between NT$10,000 and NT$1 million (aprox. $32,000 US).Yesterday, according to an announcement by Taiwan's BAPHIQ (Bureau of Animal Plant Health Inspection & Quarantine), a passenger arriving via Hong Kong was found to have undeclared pork products, which were confiscated.
The passenger was then fined NT$200,000 (roughly US$6500), with immediate payment required. The passenger refused (or was unable) to pay, and 3 hours later was put back on a plane to Hong Kong. The tourist will not be allowed to re-enter Taiwan until the fine is paid.
The (translated) press release follows:
The first exception came to bring the pork products into the country in violation of the regulations. After the fine of 200,000 yuan, they refused entry.
The Central Disaster Relief Center of the African Hog Chops said today (25) that it has started to implement the illegal import of pork products from countries (regions) where African pigs have occurred in the past three years, and has been fined 200,000 yuan (including above). If the amount of money that cannot be paid on the spot is rejected, the mainlander who came to Taiwan via Hong Kong today will be fined 200,000 yuan, and the first one will be refused entry.
This mainland passenger from Hong Kong took the Dragonair KA454 flight and arrived at Kaohsiung Xiaogang Airport around 6 pm. The chicken and pork ingredients were 0.12 kilograms of ham sausage and were not declared. They were transferred to the Kaohsiung Department of the Ministry of Finance. The Kaohsiung branch of the inspection bureau punishes NT$200,000, and the ham is kept for inspection.
The passenger has refused to enter the country due to the new measures and has been removed from the border office of the Immigration Department for repatriation. In the evening, take the 21:15 Dragonair KA457 flight back to Hong Kong. The passenger will not be allowed to re-enter Taiwan until he has paid the fine.
According to the Strain Center, countries (regions) that have had African swine fever illegally carry pork products, because pork products have a high risk of spreading the disease, and they are identified as prohibited substances, which are harmful to our interests, public safety or public order. Therefore, according to Article 18 of the Immigration and Immigration Law, it refuses entry. Those who have not paid the fines before the implementation of the aforementioned measures will be dismantled by the Immigration Department of the Ministry of the Interior and the Consular Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the payment period and the expiration of the reminder. Issues issued. The above-mentioned refusal of entry measures refers to those who exclude foreign nationals, obtain residence status and stay in the mainland for more than 6 months, because these objects can effectively carry out subsequent calls and enforcement.
The Strain Center appealed that the Spring Festival is approaching, and the people of the country are invited to transfer their relatives and friends who are about to return to Taiwan. They should not bring meat products back to China to prevent the introduction of foreign malignant infectious diseases such as African swine fever and ensure the safety of domestic livestock and poultry production.
Taiwan, where avian influenza has become endemic, is desperate to keep ASF out of their livestock, and is frustrated over what they see as a weak public response to the crisis in China.
Chinese state run media appear more focused on reassuring the public on the safety of consuming ASF infected pork products and downplaying the disease's impact (see China MOA Denies ASF `Epidemic') than educating the public on how to prevent its spread.Despite ASF infected pig carcasses washing up on Taiwan's beaches (see here and here), and increasing detections of virus in China's food supply, the number of public disclosures of outbreaks by China's MOA has dropped markedly since the first of the year.
And about a month ago - after enacting some pretty stringent regulations last fall to prevent its spread - China's MOA Relaxed Some Rules On Pig Transport Amid Ongoing ASF Epidemic, in order to ensure the continued supply of pork during the run up to the Lunar New Year.China's seemingly erratic policies - combined with the recent arrival of ASF to neighboring Mongolia - have nations across the Western Pacific scrambling to do whatever they can to keep from becoming the next region to be overrun by the disease.
Meanwhile, the ASF situation in (Eastern and Central) Europe, and much of Russia, isn't much better (see DEFRA: Qualitative Risk Assessment Of ASF Introduction To the UK).
According to the FAO's most recent report, food insecurity and world hunger continue to increase, making agricultural diseases such as ASF, avian flu, FMD, and others important detriments to human health as well.
The 2018 State Of Food Security And Nutrition In The WorldAll of which make the progress of ASF around the world very much worth our attention.
RECENT TRENDS IN HUNGER AND FOOD INSECURITY
KEY MESSAGES
- New evidence continues to point to a rise in world hunger in recent years after a prolonged decline. An estimated 821 million people – approximately one out of every nine people in the world – are undernourished.
- Undernourishment and severe food insecurity appear to be increasing in almost all regions of Africa, as well as in South America, whereas the undernourishment situation is stable in most regions of Asia.
- The signs of increasing hunger and food insecurity are a warning that there is considerable work to be done to make sure we “leave no one behind” on the road towards a world with zero hunger.
