Taipei, Jan. 7 (CNA) About 16,000 chickens were culled in Yunlin County, southern Taiwan, after birds at two chicken farms were confirmed as being infected by the highly pathogenic type A of subtype H5N1 of the avian influenza, the county's Animal Disease Control Center said in a statement Saturday.
In the statement, the center said the two affected chicken farms are located in Yuanchang and Taisi townships, adding that the authorities immediately conducted inspections after the farms reported some of their birds died in an abnormal manner.
After the birds were destroyed, the two farms and surrounding area were thoroughly cleaned and disinfected in a bid to prevent the spread of the disease, the center said.
As bird flu infections have spread in Taiwan recently, Yunlin County Magistrate Chang Li-shan (張麗善), who was elected to a second term in November, has instructed related agencies to come up with preventative measures, while poultry farmers will receive financial compensation as soon as possible when their poultry are culled, the center added.
At the end of December, Yunlin reported a cull of more than 19,600 chickens at a farm in Lunbei township after birds there were confirmed as infected with the H5N1 avian virus.
Liao Pei-chih (廖培志), head of the center, said in the statement that the growing risk of bird flu infections is a result of the drop in temperatures and it is necessary to take action to reduce the level of avian virus in the environment and prevent further agricultural losses.
The center urged poultry farmers to keep alert over possible bird flu infections by tightening access to their farms and enhancing disinfection efforts undertaken by personnel and vehicles coming and going from the farms.
In a separate statement released by Tainan's Animal Health Inspection and Protection Office, 1,088 geese at a farm in Jiali township in the city, were culled Friday after H5N1 avian virus infection was confirmed.
The office said the farm and its surrounding environment have been completely disinfected, while enhanced monitoring of about 60 farms located near the affected farm have been stepped up to prevent the spread of the virus.
