Vice President William Lai has urged Taiwan’s coastal patrol guard to be on the alert for Nipah virus. Lai was speaking Friday while visiting Kaohsiung Harbor in southern Taiwan.
He said the virus spreads from bats to pigs, sheep and oxen. The virus has been reported in China and South Asia, particularly in India and Bangladesh.
Lai said that President Tsai Ing-wen instructed the government to include the virus in Taiwan’s disease prevention measures during a national security meeting earlier in the week. That’s because humans can be infected with the Nipah virus through contact with animals, and human-to-human transmission is possible.
Lai also said the hard work of Taiwan’s costal patrol guard has led to progress in the prevention of African swine fever. However, he said that a severe crack down on pigs or pork products of unknown origin must remain in place.