Taipei: Taiwan has officially submitted an application to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) to regain its status as free from African swine fever (ASF), the Ministry of Agriculture announced. The application was submitted on the first day the threshold for applying for reinstatement was met.

According to Focus Taiwan, under the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code, member states are eligible to submit a self-declaration application three months after cleaning and disinfection are completed at the last affected site. Taiwan met this requirement on February 21, as per the ministry’s statement.

Taiwan has recorded only one domestic ASF case since 2005, linked to a farm outbreak in Taichung in October 2025. Following the report of this case, the affected farm underwent cleaning and disinfection, and samples collected tested negative by November 21, 2025. No positive cases have been detected since then, and the case was formally closed and reported to the WOAH on January 23, 2026, after thorough epidemiological investigations and intensive monitoring.

Taiwan was the first country in Asia to be free of African swine fever, classical swine fever, and foot-and-mouth disease in May 2025. However, the confirmed ASF outbreak in Taichung later that year led to the loss of its WOAH-recognized ASF-free status.