The Council of Agriculture (COA) rejected a claim Friday that the influenza A (H1N1) virus recently detected among pigs in the eastern county of Taitung might not have been transmitted from humans.

Taiwan has joined nine other nations on a list of countries with the H1N1 swine flu virus being passed from humans to pigs after the Council of Agriculture (COA) confirmed the first documented cases on the island yesterday.

A cat in Iowa has tested positive for H1N1 swine flu, the first time a cat has been diagnosed with the new pandemic strain, the American Veterinary Medical Association said on Wednesday.

More than 4,000 people in Taiwan have endorsed a campaign calling for a nationwide referendum to force the government to reopen the beef trade talks with the U.S. and prohibit entry of ground beef and internal organs from American suppliers.

There is no need for panic despite the discovery of the first case of H1N1 swine flu virus being passed to pigs from humans as long as consumers cook their pork well, according to health officials.

National Security Council (NSC) Secretary-General Su Chi on Thursday dismissed media speculations that the U.S. government has issued a warning about the measures planned by the Taiwan government to block the importation of certain U.S. beef products.

Swine flu can cause severe disease in people of all ages and appears to pose a special threat to those who are obese, according to an analysis of H1N1 cases in California released on Tuesday.

Men may protect more than their hearts if they keep cholesterol in line: Their chances of getting aggressive prostate cancer may be lower, new research suggests.

The opposition Democratic Progressive Party successfully pushed through a demand yesterday to revise existing regulations for a direct ban on certain beef products.

An outbreak of food-borne illness, linked to dangerous bacteria in ground beef, sickened 28 people and may have caused two deaths in the U.S. Northeast, health officials said on Monday.