Dead piglet on Taiwan beach tests negative for ASF

台灣沙灘死豬送檢非洲豬瘟結果為陰性

The dead piglet was found on a New Taipei Saturday morning, Taiwan remains clear of the swine virus


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A piglet found on a beach of New Taipei, Saturday, March 2, has tested negative for the Animal Swine Fever (ASF) virus, according to the New Taipei Animal Protection and Health Inspection Office.

The pig was found Saturday around 11:00 p.m. in front of the Dongxing Temple. The area was immediately quarantined and the piglet transferred to a lab for tests, which were completed on Sunday afternoon.

After the discovery on Saturday, authorities also conducted a screening of all pig farms within a three kilometer radius of where the piglet was found. None of the farms evidenced any infected livestock, reports CNA.

The precise origin of the dead pig that presumably washed ashore remains a mystery.

The piglet discovered in New Taipei on Saturday is the second pig found on a beach of Taiwan’s main island since the Chinese ASF epidemic began. Another dead hog was found on a beach in Yilan County in mid-December, but was also not infected with the ASF virus.

Thanks to the efforts of Taiwanese authorities, so far no pigs on Taiwan’s main island have been found to be infected with the dangerous ASF virus.

CNA reports that, in order to prevent the potential spread of infectious diseases, those caught abandoning dead livestock in violation of the law will face increased fines between NT$50,000 to NT$1 million (US$1,600 – US$32,500), depending on the circumstances.