On December 24, 2013, the 19th meeting held by CECC for Rabies was convened and the Commander-in-Chief, Dr. Chi-Kuo Mao, personally presided the meeting to review the current status of rabies preparedness and response. Dr. Mao instructed the following two decisions:

1. The approach for rabies control in Taiwan has been shifted from short-term emergency response measures to medium-long term control efforts. As CECC for rabies completed its primary objective, it can thus be deactivated. In addition, all future rabies control efforts will thus be coordinated by the Executive Yuan’s Coordination Meeting for Avian Influenza and Major Zoonoses Control. Nevertheless, if the need for CECC for rabies arises again, CECC can be activated again according to the Communicable Disease Control Act.

2. During the operation of CECC for rabies, all government sectors and local governments worked diligently together with the cooperation of the public to promptly address the challenges posed by cross-species infections and implement relevant control measures, subsequently controlling the outbreak in a short time with success. Dr. Mao applauded all the efforts put in by all government sectors and local governments in controlling the rabies outbreak and requested all government agencies to continue to work hard.

Regular operation mechanism will be adopted for all long-term efforts that address the prevention and control of rabies. For more information on rabies prevention, please visit the Taiwan CDC’s website at http://www.cdc.gov.tw or call the toll-free Communicable Disease Reporting and Care Hotline, 1922, or 0800-001922 if calling from a cell phone. For more information on outbreaks of animal diseases, please visit the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine (BAPHIQ)’s website at Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspec or call the Council of Agriculture’s hotline, 0800-761-590.