Keelung Port to Fine Ships Without Rat Guards to Prevent Hantavirus

(CNA, Keelung, 21st, by reporter Wang Chao-yu) To prevent rodent infestations and Hantavirus, the Keelung City Government will strengthen inspections of rat guards on the mooring lines of cruise ships and other vessels at Keelung Port. If not installed as required, the city will actively address the issue or recommend that the central government impose fines. According to Port Quarantine Regulations, internationally sailing vessels must take effective vector control measures and install rat guards while docked. Violators can be fined NT$10,000 to NT$150,000 under the Communicable Disease Control Act, and may be ordered to make improvements within a time limit; failure to do so can result in repeated penalties. Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome is a zoonotic disease. Its natural hosts are rodents. Humans can be infected by inhaling or coming into contact with dust or objects contaminated with the excrement or secretions (including feces, urine, and saliva) of Hantavirus-carrying rodents, or by being bitten by an infected rodent. According to information from the Maritime and Port Bureau's Facebook page, the surface of a rat guard is very smooth. When a rat tries to climb over the vertical barrier, the guard begins to rotate, causing the rat to lose its footing and fall into the sea. Keelung City Government Secretary-General Hsieh Hsiao-kun stated at a morning press conference that the current focus is on preventing rodent invasions when ships approach land. Mooring lines between ships and the shore must have rat guards, and the city government will increase inspections. Additionally, according to city government data, from 2023 to last year, five rats were caught each year in the Keelung Port area. Two rats in 2023 and three last year tested positive for Hantavirus. Hsieh said that the quarantine authority for Keelung Port is the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the city's Health Bureau will work closely with the CDC and enhance inspections. If a vessel is found without a rat guard, fines will be imposed as required, or the central government will be asked to issue penalties. Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang said that international ports are managed by the central government, while domestic ports are managed by local health bureaus. Keelung Port is both an international and a domestic port, and the city government will clarify the jurisdiction and legal basis for penalties with the central government as soon as possible. As Keelung is currently facing a very severe Hantavirus situation, the city government will proactively handle the matter first. He said that according to city data, a certain proportion of rats caught in the Keelung Port area in 2023 and 2025 tested positive for Hantavirus, indicating that the virus is not a new phenomenon in the streets. The city government will strive to promote awareness, cleaning, disinfection, and prevention, hoping citizens will understand and protect themselves from infection. Regarding markets, Hsieh Hsiao-kun said that Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang has tasked the city's Department of Economic Development with defining types of violations, which will serve as a communication medium between the city and market vendors. The city will act according to food safety regulations.