FMD Breaks Out in Feeder Pigs
TAIWAN - The Taiwanese veterinary authorities have reported an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in feeder pigs in the Penghu Islands.
24 January 2012
1 minute read
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) received an immediate notification yesterday, 23 January. The outbreak was initially observed on 19 January and confirmed on 21 January. The outbreak took place at an animal quarantine house.
A total of 239 pigs were found susceptible to the outbreak, out of which 140 cases were reported. All 239 pigs were destroyed.
Some of the feeder pigs at the quarantine station, which were transported from Taiwan Island to Penghu Island, were found with vesicular lesions. The testing result of collected samples from National Laboratory showed positive reaction of RT-PCR tests confirming the serotype O of foot and mouth disease infection.
All the pigs were destroyed and cleaning and disinfection of the premises were completed. Clinical inspection and epidemiological investigation were conducted on the origin pig farm in Taiwan and surrounding farms that keep cloven-hoofed animals within 3-km radius of the index premise (a total of 1 cattle/goat/deer farm, 1 goat/pig farm, 1 deer farm, 5 goat farms and 7 cattle farms); the results showed the animals were in healthy condition and no clinical or epidemiological evidence of infection was found. Further tests of samples collected from the slaughtered feeder pigs are on-going.
The source of the outbreak remains inconclusive.
TheCattleSite News Desk
