BUREAU OF ANIMAL HEALTH INSPECTION AND QUARANTINE

The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ) said that Taiwan is free from avian flu. The 185 birds exported from Taiwan to the UK on September 27, 2005 were healthy and in compliance with the quarantine requirement of the UK. Upon receipt of the news release from Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) of the UK, saying that H5N1 avian influenza virus was found on parrot from Suriname in the quarantine facility where the birds shared airspace with birds from Taiwan, BAPHIQ has dispatched animal health inspection officers on October 22, 2005 to the farm of origin to examine the health status of the birds. All birds on the farm were healthy. Throat and cloaca swabs from the birds on the farm were sampled and tested for bird flu on October 25, 2005. The RT-PCR tests against H5N1 gave negative results. This indicates that the H5N1 virus isolated from the Suriname parrot by the UK in quarantine facility has no relation with birds exported from Taiwan.
BAPHIQ reiterated that Taiwan is free of avian influenza. BAPHIQ asks the competent authority of the UK to clarify this matter.

Media contact:
Chiang, Hsien-Choung
Director
Animal Quarantine Division
TEL: 886-2-23431434
MOBIL:0937049954