Taiwan regains African swine fever-free status

台灣重新獲得非洲豬瘟非疫區地位

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Agriculture on Monday announced that Taiwan has regained African swine fever-free status ahead of schedule after approval from the World Organisation for Animal Health.

Taiwan is the only country in Asia free of the three major swine diseases, foot-and-mouth disease, classical swine fever, and African swine fever, per CNA. The ministry thanked central and local government agencies, disease prevention personnel, academics, and industry stakeholders for their coordinated efforts in restoring Taiwan’s disease-free status.

Taiwan detected its first African swine fever case on Oct. 21, prompting the Central Emergency Operation Center to activate an interagency response mechanism to adjust control measures and allocate resources. Through strengthened containment efforts, authorities limited the outbreak to a single farm, completing disinfection within one month and confirming that there were no further signs of the virus.

The incident was formally closed and reported to the organization on Jan. 23.

The ministry held meetings with experts to verify compliance with WOAH standards and improve data consistency. Taiwan submitted its application to regain disease-free status on Feb. 21.

Approval came over a month later, following a review by the WOAH. The ministry said the result “demonstrates Taiwan’s thorough preparation, familiarity with international animal quarantine standards, and the effectiveness of its disease prevention and control measures.”

To sustain its African swine fever prevention achievements, the ministry said it will continue to tighten oversight of food waste use, introduce AIoT-based cooking-monitoring systems and GPS tracking for food-waste transport vehicles, and integrate electronic fencing at pig farms. These measures, combined with enhanced wild boar surveillance and coordinated management of food-waste burial sites, aim to block transmission pathways.

The ministry added that it has engaged key trading partners to ensure continued exports of heat-treated pork products to markets including Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, and Australia. For fresh pork and live pig exports, Taiwan will leverage WOAH’s publication of its restored status to accelerate negotiations with partners such as Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Hong Kong, to assist the industry in expanding overseas export opportunities.