Swine fever gene test results expected Friday: Agriculture ministry

Taipei, Oct. 29 (CNA) The Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) on Wednesday said that gene sequencing results for Taiwan's first cases of African swine fever (ASF) will be available on Friday at the earliest, and will help in determining the virus' source.

The ASF cases were publicly confirmed on Oct. 22, with investigations showing that the outbreak occurred on a pig farm in Taichung's Wuqi District.

Speaking at the Legislature, Agriculture Minister Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) said that the sequencing will be matched with sequences uploaded by other countries to determine similarity and infer the origin.

However, he noted that China has not uploaded gene sequencing data.

As there has never been ASF in Taiwan, the first case must have been imported, Chen said.

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When a case has slipped through the first frontier at the border, the next steps to prevent it spreading are steam sterilizing food waste and thorough inspections, he said.

He added that the goal of tracking the disease is to eradicate it in Taiwan.

The ministry reported that 997 pork products have tested positive for ASF virus from 2018 to Oct. 23, out of the 9,511 sampled from pork products illegally imported, brought in or discarded at the border.

Of these, 147 were from China, 13 from Vietnam, and seven were from Thailand.

Regarding subsidy measures for the pork industry chain, Chen said they will be announced by Saturday, after related budgets are reported to the Executive Yuan.

He said that current discussions indicate that subsidies for dead pigs will be conditional, and while a price guarantee may not be implementable, the government will stabilize the quantity of pork in the wholesale market after the transport and slaughter bans are lifted, with a monitored price and further adjustments on the way.

It is still being debated whether eateries with pork dishes will be subsidized, because that would be difficult to determine, he added.

Also on Wednesday, Taichung Deputy Mayor Cheng Chao-hsin (鄭照新) said suspected alterations have been found in the documents dealing with dead pigs at the site of the ASF outbreak, resulting in differences in the numbers.

At a press conference in Taichung held by the African Swine Fever Forward Command Center, Cheng said that relevant evidence had been sent to prosecutors to investigate possible forgery.

Also speaking at the event, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) said that city officials have been working tirelessly on disease prevention and administrative investigations, adding that punishments and rewards will be given where appropriate.

Meanwhile, the Taichung District Prosecutors Office has summoned a veterinary aide surnamed Wang (王), who worked with the affected pig farm, for questioning on Wednesday morning for suspected violations of the Act on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Animal Diseases.

Wang was released as a witness later that day.

According to disease tracking investigations by the city government, the pig farm sought council with Wang after about 20 pigs died. The farmer later administered medication to his pigs.

The city said that Wang left the country after the ASF outbreak was announced and returned on Tuesday night.

Wang was questioned to determine whether he had illegally prescribed medication, which only licensed veterinarians are authorized to do, it said.

Violations will result in a fine of between NT$100,000 (US$3,271) and NT$500,000, the city said.