According to a posting on ProMED-Mail on March 20th, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed a diagnosis of avian influenza strain H9N2 in a poultry farm. The location was not disclosed but the flock of non-confined ducks was depleted. The current concern relates to the fact that there is a history of human respiratory infection associated with H9N2 avian influenza virus with 90 percent of the cases reported from China.
The Taiwan Department of Disease Control and Prevention is monitoring the situation with surveillance of farm workers and their families.
Taiwan will attempt to eradicate H9N2, although this may be an insurmountable task. China, Israel, South Korea, Pakistan, Egypt, Iran and the UAE have implemented vaccination to suppress the infection. This zoonotic infection is especially a risk in nations with wet market sale of poultry to both rural and urban populations.