Download This month in history Like us on Scan to download British writer Charles Dickens, author of Oliver Twist the full-color PDF and A Christmas Carol, was born in England on and translation. February 7, 1812. @SanminEnglishEditor Tuesday, February 5, 2019 vol. 291
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Illegal Meat Imports Can Carry Viruses like African Swine Fever by Theodore Pigott, special correspondent
Normally, international commerce relies on the import and export of products from one country to another, and this system benefits the majority of people. However, in some cases, an incident in one country can upset this delicate balance in international trade. In fact, some countries may be forced to prohibit certain products from being imported into their lands, since these products could cause great harm to the health and safety of the nation’s citizens, or to the country’s economy. This is exactly what Taiwan has been facing recently. On August 3 of 2018, the first case of African swine fever was made known to the public. Experts now believe that it has spread to many regions and provinces in China. Why are people in Taiwan so worried about African swine fever in China? This viral pig disease is highly contagious and it can quickly and easily spread from pig to pig, contaminating large numbers of pigs. Although humans cannot catch African swine fever, pigs that are infected by it must be killed. Since Taiwan has a large pork industry, it would be devastating if this virus were ever to appear on the island. It only makes sense, then, that the Taiwan government had to respond to this threat swiftly and seriously. The government thus outlawed pork products from China. To stress the severity of this situation, people caught trying to illegally bring in meat products, especially pork from China, have been fined tens of thousands of New Taiwan dollars. Moreover, the president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, has called on China to be open about the spread of this disease there. In addition, a special emergency center has been set up in Taiwan to take steps to keep the disease from entering Taiwan.