Mayor confirms avian flu outbreak at egg farm in Taichung

Taipei, Jan. 28 (CNA) Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) confirmed Wednesday an avian influenza outbreak at an egg farm in Fengyuan District after reports of mass chicken deaths.

Lu said tests conducted at the farm returned positive results for avian influenza, prompting the city government to set up a command post to coordinate response measures.

These include disinfecting the site, restricting personnel and vehicle movement, recalling and destroying eggs already shipped out, and culling all chickens at the affected farm, she said.

Lu added that with winter being a peak season for avian flu, the city is inspecting all 171 chicken farms in Taichung.

According to the city government, it received a report Tuesday that a farm housing more than 7,000 chickens was experiencing unusually high mortality. A movement control notice was issued the same day.

By around noon on Wednesday, disinfection had been completed at the farm and at all poultry sites within a 3-kilometer radius, it said, adding that follow-up measures include tracing and destroying eggs already sold.

Taichung Agriculture Bureau Director Li I-an (李逸安) said the farm operator admitted to burying 1,700 dead chickens on-site and could face a fine of NT$50,000 (US$1,600) to NT$1 million (US$32,000) under the Act on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Animal Diseases.

Tseng Tzu-chan (曾梓展), director of the Taichung Health Bureau, said a recall order had been issued for eggs sold online and that five workers and culling personnel would undergo blood tests and five days of health monitoring, urging the public to fully cook eggs before consumption.