Source: Tom Johnson, Meatingplace.com, March 24

Nearly 1,000 pigs have been culled in Taiwan following the second of two outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease discovered in an offshore county, according to the World Animal Health Organization (OIE).

The discovery on Tuesday of FMD in 30 pigs (at what local media said was an auction block) in Penghu Island and their immediate slaughter raised to 999 the number of pigs that have been destroyed. The first outbreak reported Tuesday led to a cull of 969 pigs.

In the most recent outbreak, authorities traced the disease back to the farm of origin. A clinical investigation showed that 110 pigs there had the same vesicular lesions as found on the 30 pigs at the reported auction market. All pigs at the farm were completely destroyed on Wednesday, OIE said on its website.

Positive results of tests by national authorities confirmed those 110 pigs were infected with FMD. Thus far a total of 140 pigs have been found to be infected with FMD, while a total of 999 have been deemed susceptible and therefore destroyed.

“Enforced biosecurity measures including movement control, cleaning and disinfection have been implemented both in the slaughterhouse and the index farm,” OIE stated.

One goat farm and one cattle farm within a 3-kilometer radius of the affected farm have been under surveillance, and no clinical or epidemiological evidence of infection has been found, OIE said.

All cloven-hoofed animal farms of Penghu Island have been placed under movement control until authorities complete the investigation.

Taiwan has struggled with FMD especially since a major outbreak in 1997 effectively eliminated its ability to export pork. Until 1997, according to USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service, Taiwan was Japan's primary pork supplier. Taiwan's misfortune eventually allowed the United States to become the top pork supplier to Japan. In 2010, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation, Japan bought some 1 billion pounds of U.S. pork valued at $1.6 billion, making it the top destination for U.S. product.

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