The first bird flu outbreak was reported in Beizhang area and Meizhen, and the infection was rare quail.

(Provided by Changhua County Animal Epidemic Prevention Office)

[Reporter Zhang Congqiu/Changhua Report] The outbreak of bird flu continues!

Since the beginning of winter last year, the epidemic situation has increased more intensively than in previous years. Ten poultry farms in Changhua County have been diagnosed with H5N1 or H5N2 subtype highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, and more than 90,000 chickens, ducks and geese have been culled. The virus continues to spread from south to north. There are 2 poultry farms in Zenghemei Town, and the occupied poultry farm is a rare quail farm. It is not only the first outbreak in North Changhua, but also a rare occurrence in quail in recent years.

There are 22 quail farms in Changhua County. Dong Mengzhi, the director of the Animal Epidemic Prevention Institute, said that on December 30 last year, the Animal Prevention Institute received voluntary reports of abnormal quail deaths from 2 quail farms in Hemei Township. The Institute inspected yesterday (3rd) that two quail farms were confirmed to be infected with the new H5N1 subtype highly pathogenic avian influenza virus by the Domestic Health Institute. quail.

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Dong Mengzhi pointed out that this wave of epidemics is fierce. The main reason is that migratory birds carry the virus and pass it to resident birds to form a two-layer transmission. The resident bird virus is brought into poultry farms by vehicles and people, and it is unknowingly transmitted to poultry. The poultry farms in the county are concentrated in Nanzhang and Beizhang. Relatively less than Nanzhang, the epidemic first spread in densely populated areas, and also occurred in non-intensive areas. It entered the peak period. Poultry farmers must be alert to this wave of epidemics and strictly prohibit all kinds of vehicles and people from entering the field. When entering the venue, personnel are also required to change clothes and shoes, and vehicles must be thoroughly disinfected before entering.

According to statistics, since December 20 last year, a total of 12 poultry farms in Changhua County have been infected with the disease. A total of 150,420 poultry have been culled humanely, including 90,187 laying hens, native chickens, meat geese and ducks, and 60,233 only quail.

Changhua has strengthened the cleaning and disinfection of poultry farms.

(Provided by Changhua County Animal Epidemic Prevention Office)