Taiwan is dealing with an increasing number of avian flu cases. Bird flu viruses normally don't affect humans, but their high transmission and mortality rates could have a major impact on Taiwan's poultry industry.
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Sanitation workers clean up the aftermath of a poultry cull after detecting cases of avian flu. In order to stop the H5N1 virus from spreading further, farms like this one have been forced to euthanize a large number of chickens, ducks, and geese.
Although Taiwan's first avian flu cases were reported in the northern county of Yilan, the disease has been moving further south. Recently, five farms throughout Changhua County have reported cases of avian flu, bringing Taiwan's number of affected farms to around 40. Although chicken farms make up over half of the total number, the virus has affected duck and goose farms as well.
Farms across Taiwan have culled around 30,000 chickens, 2,000 geese, and 900 ducks to avoid a rampant outbreak. Changhua's zoonotic disease prevention head Tung Meng-chih (董孟治) says the disease can spread throughout various birds breeds, regardless of whether they are aquatic or land birds.
Authorities are also reminding livestock farmers that animals' immune systems weaken as the temperature drops, and so it's important to monitor potential flu symptoms. They also recommend sanitizing bird coops at least twice a day and reporting any irregular deaths immediately.