WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/GEN/402
27 May 2003
(03-2832)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
ERADICATION OF FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE IN CHINESE TAIPEI
Submission by Chinese Taipei
Introduction1. Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly cont agious animal disease, which affects a wide
variety of susceptible species.  The disease is a "List A" disease for Chinese Taipei and the World
Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
2. Two FMD epidemics occurred in Chinese Taipei in the early part of the last century, the first
between 1913 and 1916 and the second between 1924 and 1929.  Following the eradication of FMD
in 1929, Chinese Taipei remained free from the disease for the next 68 years, until March of 1997,
when a case of FMD was reported in pigs.
3. The disease spread across the island of Taiwan, resulting in economically serious losses in pig
production and related industries.  A policy of stamping out and blanket vaccination was adoptedimmediately, which controlled the epidemic.  At  the same time, with the objective of bringing
Chinese Taipei back to FMD-free status, a 3-stage eradication programme was launched.  Two years
later, in June 1999, FMD struck Chinese Taipei again, this time in ruminants.  In February 2001, in a
routine inspection at a slaughterhouse, the disease wa s found to be infecting three pigs.  Pigs with the
clinical symptoms were destroyed to prevent the disease from spreading and since then up to the
present time, no further case of FMD has been reported.
Past outbreaks of FMD in Chinese Taipei
The outbreak in 1997
4. The first FMD case was confirmed on 19 March 1997.  After that, a total of 6,156 pig farms -
about one-quarter of all the pig farms in Chinese Taipei - were reported as being affected.  By the endof the year, 1,012,000 pigs on those farms had been found to have the clinical symptoms.  Eventually,
184,286 pigs died of the disease and 3,851,170 were slaughtered.  The disease was brought well under
control within two months of the outbreak by means of stamping out and blanket vaccination.
5. Studies of the FMD that occurred in 1997 indicated that the virus strain, namely O/Taiwan/97,
is a pig-adapted type which cannot infect ruminants.  It can cause high morbidity in the pig populationand high mortality in baby pigs.
The outbreak in ruminants in 1999
6. In June of 1999, another O-type strain of the FMD virus, later named O/Taiwan/99, was
identified in the beef cattle population of Kinmen Island by the disease-monitoring and surveillanceprogramme, using the FMD virus non-structural protein (NSP) methods, ELISA and RT-PCR.  TheG/SPS/GEN/402
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infected beef cattle showed no clinical symptoms, but displayed with  sero-conversion, which could
be detected by serological testing techniques.
7. The disease was later transmitted to six beef cattle farms on Taiwan Island through co-
habitation with infected beef cattle that were brought from Kinmen Island for slaughtering.  The
diseased animals on Taiwan Island also showed no c linical symptoms of the infection but displayed
with sero-conversion in the same way as those of Kinmen Island.
8. In early 2000, infection by the disease was reported in one beef cattle, two dairy cattle and
two dairy goat farms.  Clinical symptoms of the disease were displayed in dairy cattle and dairy goat,
but no mortality occurred in the adult population.  However, mortality was recorded in young animals
due to heart failure, showing indications of "tiger heart".
9. Studies of the O/Taiwan/99 strain showed that it can infect not only ruminants but also pigs.
However, the strain has never been detected in infected pigs in the field.  It does not produce clinicalsymptoms in beef cattle, but it does in dairy cattle and dairy goat. However, it  displays with sero-
conversion in all infected ruminants.
The last outbreak
10. When the first case of FMD in cattle was identified in Kinmen Island in 1999, an intensive
serological survey was implemented using the FMD virus NSP ELISA method, which continued until
the end of the year 2000.  In fact, from February 2000, when the last case of the disease was detected
on dairy goat farms, through to the end of the year, a total of nearly 20,000 sera were collected from
cattle and goats.  The final result of the full serological survey was that no farm could be detected as
having the infection.
11. However, on 25 February 2001, three FMD-infected pigs were found by a routine inspection
carried out in the pen of the slaughterhouse located in the Taipei prefecture.  Both the antigen ELISA
test and virus isolation confirmed the infection.  All pigs were destroyed immediately when clinical
symptoms were observed.  Disinfection procedures at the slaughterhouse were strengthened and an
intensive programme of tracking inspections was conducted to find the source of the disease.  Thesource farms were identified and they all had full FMD-vaccination records.  No other FMD case was
found in subsequent tracking inspections.  No further case of FMD has been reported since that last
outbreak in February 2001.  Outbreaks that have occurred in Chinese Taipei since 1997 are listed in
the table below:
FMD outbreaks in Chinese Taipei since 1997
Strains of FMD
virusOutbreak
timeNo. of
outbreaksNo. of destroyed
animalsAnimal species Clinical signs
O/Taiwan/97 1997 6,156 3,851,170 Swine Yes
1998 6 467 Swine Yes
1999 6 793 Swine Yes
2000 1 5 Swine Yes
2001 1 3 Swine Yes
O/Taiwan/99 1999 10 663 Beef cattle None
2000 1 2 Beef cattle None
2 263 Dairy cattle Yes26 1 G o a t Y e sG/SPS/GEN/402
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FMD eradication strategy in Chinese Taipei
12. A policy of stamping out, emergency vaccinati on and movement restriction was implemented
in the 1997 outbreak.  After gaining control of the epidemic, the government launched a 3-stage
eradication programme designed to put Chinese Taip ei back on the list of FMD-free countries as soon
as possible.  After full discussion, the programme was developed by a working group composed of
researchers, experts, specialists, producers and government officials.
(a) Control stage
This first stage focuses on the compulsory vaccination of all cloven-hoofed animals. The goal
is to bring the incidence rate of FMD down to zero.
(b) Eradication stage
In this second stage, the compulsory vaccination programme continues for two more years
with a zero incidence rate, alongside the implementation of a nationwide FMD surveillance
programme.  The goal of this stage is to reach FMD-free status through the practice of
vaccination.  This stage is being implemented currently in Chinese Taipei.
(c) Surveillance stage
When the results of monitoring and surveillance programmes indicate that no virus has been
detected on animal farms, the third and final stage of the eradication programme is entered
into.  Vaccination is stopped and a stamping-out policy is adopted.  The surveillance
programme is continued in order to gather more evidence of the non-existence of the virus.
Measures taken in the eradication programme
13. The measures described below have been execut ed according to guidelines laid down in the
eradication programme:
(a) Education and extension
Education is aimed at informing the general public that the country is in the process of
eradicating FMD.  Further education courses are given annually to livestock producers,
livestock traders, and the staff of government and private organizations, to raise their
awareness of the nature of FMD and to draw their attention to the potential impact of the
disease on them and the industry.  All forms of mass media - radio, television, video,
advertising, the press and a variety of other printed material (booklets, pamphlets, posters) -as well as seminars or exhibitions, are used to achieve the purpose.
(b) Compulsory mass vaccination
A mass FMD vaccination programme has been carried out since 1997. Based on "Regulation
of Kinds of Vaccines and their Management for Eradicating Classical Swine Fever and Foot
and Mouth Disease", promulgated in Chinese Taipei on 10 September 1997, it is compulsory
for all cloven-hoofed animals to be vaccinated.  Swine, sows, boar and ruminants have to be
vaccinated twice a year, and porkers between 8 and 16 weeks old are vaccinated twice, at an
interval of 4 weeks.
Each cloven-hoofed animal farm has to have a vaccination record, which must be certified by
the veterinarians in order to confirm the vaccination of animals and check the rate ofG/SPS/GEN/402
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vaccination.  When transported to the slaughterhouse, the cloven-hoofed animals shall have
immune certificates authorized by the veterinarians, to prove their vaccination status.  The
owners of the animals will be penalized by a fine of NT$ 10,000 to NT$ 50,000 (roughly
US$ 1,994 to US$ 9,970) if they either do not have an immune certificate or have not
vaccinated their animals.  In order to strengthen the management of vaccination, thegovernment launched the vaccine stamp system in October 2001.  With this system, the
government provides one stamp with each dose of FMD vaccine.  Animal owners are required
to attach the stamps to the immune certificate, which represents the number of vaccines that
have been used on the certified animal.  Once an animal has been vaccinated at least twice, it
will have two corresponding stamps attached to the immune certificate as proof of
vaccination.  The stamps are then collected along with the immune certificate.
In order to help small producers to vaccinate their animals, action has been taken by the
government since June 2002, to purchase vaccine and arrange for veterinarians to conduct the
vaccination by charging the small producers.
(c) Epidemiological reporting system
Because FMD is a notifiable disease, in the event of an FMD outbreak, veterinary
practitioners or producers are obligated to report the disease to the prefecture or city
veterinary authorities (Livestock Disease Control Center, LDCC).  The reports shall be sent tothe Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ).  The sera and
fluid of vesicles of suspected animals will be collected for ELISA testing and virus isolation
in order to detect whether there is FMD infe ction.  Epidemiological investigation will be
conducted to identify the source of infection and the possible extent of the spread, so as to
give a full picture of the state of the disease.  After compiling all the reports, BAPHIQ willsend a report to the OIE.
A disease-reporting software system has been in use since 1999.  This provides a link by
computer network to all levels of government veterinary agencies.  As a result, the latest,
updated disease situation is at the fingertips of anyone who has the authority to access thesystem.
The government also uses a system of rewards to encourage producers to report the
occurrence of FMD on their farms, or the farms of others.  A subsidy, equivalent to 10% of
the total amount of compensation paid for animals slaughtered, will be provided to producerswho report the occurrence of the disease on their farms.  Those who fail to report the
occurrence of the disease on their farms will be fined NT$ 10,000 to NT$ 50,000 and no
compensation will be paid for slaughtered animals.
(d) Strengthening of bio-security at the farm level
The disease can be transmitted from one infected farm to another through mechanical or
biological means.  Any movement of man, animals, equipment and trucks is thereforecontrolled and disinfected by using appropriate disinfectants on both the infected and the
disease-free farms, in order to stop the spread of the disease.  Routine cleaning and
disinfecting procedures for equipment and facilities on the farms is the basic health
management work of the producers.  Selecting the appropriate disinfectant for the disease is
also essential.G/SPS/GEN/402
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(e) Disinfection in the meat markets and slaughterhouses
Because healthy animals are sent to meat market s for sale or slaughter, the meat markets and
slaughterhouses play a very important role in reducing the spread of the disease from one
place to another.  The cleaning and disinfecting of trucks whenever they enter or leave the
meat markets or slaughterhouses is of paramount importance.  Routine disinfection offacilities in the meat markets and slaughterhouses is also important.  Since the two last
epidemics struck exactly these places, their cleaning and disinfecting procedures have been
strengthened.  The lairages are required to be disinfected at the end of each day’s auction and
slaughtering, and the entire area of each meat market and slaughterhouse is disinfected on
four rest days of every month.  The LDCC staff working in the meat markets and
slaughterhouses supervise the disinfection activities in these areas.
(f) Monitoring and surveillance
The surveillance programme is directed by a specialist group, which decides on the sampling
size, testing techniques and other related measures.  In this programme, serum samples from
cloven-hoofed animals are collected from meat markets and farms, and tested by serological
testing techniques.  The NSP antibody testing tec hnique is used to verify the infection status.
These serological tests provide an opportunity to trace the farms suspected of being infected,
even those with animals being vaccinated.  Animals on these suspected farms will be treated
with compulsory re-vaccination twice and checked at an interval of once every six months
until they become free of the FMD virus.
(g) Emergency plan for FMD outbreak
Whenever an FMD outbreak is suspected, veterinarians from LDCCs shall respond
immediately with the following control measures:
(i) Restrict the movement of animals from the infected farm.  All of the sick, suspected 
and possibly infected animals must be destroyed.
(ii) Disinfect the infected farm.
(iii) Animal movement shall be put on hold within the infected farm until no further cases 
have been found for a continuous period of two weeks.
(iv) Boosted vaccination may be required if deemed necessary.
(v) Investigation shall be carried out on the infected and neighbouring farms to collect 
epidemiological information.
(h) Antigen and vaccine reserve
In case other types of FMD may invade Chinese Taipei as a result of increases in international
animal trade, or smuggling activities, antigen and vaccine reserves have been planned and put
in place.  The three FMD viral strains most commonly occurring in neighbouring countries
and our trading partners - A22, Asia-1 and C1 - have been selected.  Reserves consist of100,000 doses of ready-to-use FMD vaccines of each selected strain (stock at National
Institute for Animal Health) and 1.25 million doses of each of the three antigens mentioned
above (stock at Bayer Company).G/SPS/GEN/402
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Conclusion
14. The last cases of FMD in ruminants and in pigs in Chinese Taipei were in February of 2000
and 2001 respectively.  As a result of the efforts made in implementing the strategic plan and
programme, no further case of FMD has been reported to date. The current goal is to reach FMD-freestatus through vaccination. With its continued implementation of the eradication programme, Chinese
Taipei is looking forward to officially becoming FMD-free again very soon.
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