#13,995
Although Taiwan sits between 60 and 90 miles off the Chinese mainland, the Republic of China exercises political control over several groups of (many uninhabited) islands (Kinmen, Wuqiu & Matsu) that lie much closer to the mainland (see map above).
Last December and January we saw several reports of dead, ASF positive pigs (see ASF: When Pigs Float) turning up on the beaches of some of Taiwan's islands, presumably dumped into rivers on the mainland.Once again, in mid-March (see Taiwan: Another ASF Positive Pig Washes Ashore), this scene was repeated when an infected pig was found floated ashore on the southwestern side of Liyu Township (Xiaojinmen) in Jinmen County.
As previously noted in this blog, China's farmers have - on occasion - resorted to the clandestine dumping of diseased livestock into rivers and lakes rather than reporting outbreaks to local officials.
- In February 2016 several badly decomposed chicken carcasses were found on local beaches of Hong Kong (presumably dumped upstream the Pearl River in Guangdong Province) that tested positive for the avian H5 virus (see Hong Kong: Another H5N6 Positive Chicken Carcass).
- In previous years (2009-2012) we'd seen numerous similar reports - albeit with the H5N1 virus - of badly decomposed poultry carcasses washing up on the beaches of Hong Kong.
- But perhaps most famously, in 2013 - in Shanghai Govt.: Thousands Of Dead Pigs Retrieved From River - we saw reports of as many as 3,000 pig carcasses dumped in the Huangpu river - a tributary of the Yangtze - that provides many of the 23 million residents of Shanghai with their drinking water.
(translated)
Chinese mainland sea drift Lianjiang pigs, detected African porcine virus DNA positive
The Central Hunger Disaster Response Center (Strain Center) of Africa has said that on April 4, a dead pig that drifted ashore was found on the shore of Nanshui Qingshui, Lianjiang County, and was passed by the Keelung Branch of the Agricultural Protection Bureau.
The Mazu Quarantine Station (Mazu Quarantine Station) sent samples to the Agricultural Animal Health Laboratory (the Animal Husbandry Institute) of the Council of Agriculture for testing. Today, the detection of African swine fever virus nucleic acid is positive, and the gene fragment is 100% similar to the isolates from mainland China. . According to the geographical location, the pig should only drift from mainland China.
According to the Strain Center, the Mazu quarantine station received a notification from the Mazu patrol area of the Hailan patrol on April 4, and found a dead pig on the bank of Qingshui Wo in Nantun Township. The station rushed to the scene to learn about the collection of relevant specimens. The Jiangxian government carried out the follow-up of the pigs in the form of incineration, and the samples were sent to the animal husbandry for inspection. The relevant samples were detected by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the results showed that the African swine fever virus nucleic acid was positive, and the gene fragment sequence was 100% similar to the genetic fragment of the African swine fever virus strain in mainland China.
The strain center added that the location of the dead pigs has been completely disinfected by the Mazu quarantine station. The 2 pig farms in Nanxiang Township are also located within a radius of 3 kilometers from the discovery site. The veterinarian performs a clinical examination with good health, no abnormalities, and performs mobile control and sampling monitoring. To ensure the overall safety of the industry, Lianjiang County pigs and their products will be suspended for at least one week from Taiwan and other outlying islands.
The Strain Center pointed out that Lianjiang County is close to the estuary of the Minjiang River and the Lancang River in Fujian Province, China. It was found that the sea drifting pigs also found sea-drift garbage in simplified form, and the comprehensive judgment should be drifted from mainland China. In response to this case, the disinfection measures have been implemented for the personnel, vehicles, equipment and areas in contact with the pig. The AFCD will also follow the cross-strait epidemic prevention notification mechanism to inform the mainland of China to request the pig farmers within the jurisdiction. Good pig body treatment work.
Another strain center indicated that the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) replied to China yesterday (8th) to clarify that the 8th to 9th in Beijing was held in the "African Pig Breeding International Symposium" instead of "African Pigs".瘟Standing expert group meeting."
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| Photo Credit BAPHIQ |
While the number of pigs retrieved from the beaches of these Taiwanese held islands remains small, the number of infected pigs dumped into the ocean could be much greater.
The ocean is vast, currents may carry many carcasses away from shore, some may land and decompose unnoticed on uninhabited beaches, while others may end up eaten by predators.The most likely source of these ASF-infected pigs (going back to late December) is Fujian Province. Fujian, however, hasn't reported an outbreak of ASF for almost 4 months (see Dec. 20th China MOA: Fujian Province Reports New Outbreak Of ASF).
There are persistent rumors (Google search `死猪') and media reports (see Reuters report Piles of pigs: Swine fever outbreaks go unreported in rural China), strongly suggesting that China's African Swine Fever epidemic is much bigger than official numbers would suggest.
Reports such as today's only serve to reinforce those suspicions.
