The government has stressed the need for a thorough epidemiological investigation to determine the cause of the outbreak.
Although investigations are ongoing, authorities said the outbreak was most likely linked to illegal pork imports that entered Taiwan undetected.
The new Japanese approach instead uses 10 millilitres of oral fluid (instead of blood) per test, far more than the 50–200 microliters used in comparable test.
The scientists recommend further research into matching vaccines to virus types, while also exploring new vaccine designs that could provide broader protection.