Dead pig infected with African swine fever washes ashore in Taiwan

Carcass found floating near island close to Fujian province as mainland reports fresh outbreak of disease

Country could lose up to 200 million pigs to epidemic as it sweeps through the nation’s herds

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Pig herds on the mainland have been devastated by an African swine fever epidemic. Photo: Reuters

Published: 4:05pm, 15 Nov 2019Updated: 10:22pm, 15 Nov 2019

A floating dead pig infected with African swine fever washed up in Taiwan last week, according to a UN report, which also recorded a fresh mainland China outbreak and an attempt to illegally transport infected pigs.

The mainland’s swine herd has been devastated by the outbreak of the disease, first reported by the government in August last year.

An update on the crisis from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations dated Thursday said the dead pig was found floating on November 6 near Taiwan’s Xiaojinmen Island – also known as Lieyu – close to the mainland province of Fujian.

It said the pig tested positive for the same strain of swine fever that had unleashed havoc in mainland China.

China’s pig herds have been devastated by the disease which has pushed up the price of pork dramatically. Photo Reuters

The FAO said this was the first floating dead pig reported since June, and pointed out that the last reported outbreak in Fujian was last December.