South Sudan joins ban list with first ASF outbreak

• By Esme Yeh / Staff reporter

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The Central Emergency Operations Center for African Swine Fever (ASF) yesterday cautioned against importing food that contain pork following South Sudan’s first confirmed ASF case occurring last month.

The World Organisation for Animal Health reported the ASF case on its official Web site in the afternoon on Friday, the center said.

The case was detected on July 18 in samples collected from a pig farm in Yambio, South Sudan, the first ASF case in the African country, it said.

Signs are seen at Taoyuan Airport warning passengers about the fines for bringing in pork in this undated photograph.

Photo: Taipei Times

Taiwan has no records of living pigs or pork products imported from South Sudan, as the Ministry of Agriculture has not confirmed South Sudan to be free of ASF, foot-and-mouth disease or classical swine fever — the three major swine diseases — the center said.

There are no direct flights or mail service between South Sudan and Taiwan either, it said.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency yesterday said it listed South Sudan as a high-risk ASF country yesterday, and one that has had ASF cases in the past three years.

The agency has asked all border quarantine authorities to tighten quarantine measures, it said, adding it would continue to clamp down on illegally imported pork products based on the “zero tolerance” principle.

The center called on the public not to carry pork products or import them by mail or express delivery from ASF epidemic countries or regions to Taiwan, particularly ahead of the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival.

There were travelers detained at customs for illegally bringing mooncakes containing pork into Taiwan, it said.

Those who illegally import pork products to Taiwan would be fined NT$200,000 (US$6,287) for the first time and NT$1 million for each repeat offense, the center said.

Taiwan has maintained its self-declared ASF-free status since April 6, it said.

Taiwan is the only country in Asia that is free of the three major swine diseases, the center said, calling on people to abide by quarantine rules to safeguard Taiwan’s livestock industry.