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Since the first discovery of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) in China in 2009, SFTSV has rapidly spread through other Asian countries, including Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Pakistan, in chronological order. Taiwan reported its first discovery of SFTSV in sheep and humans in 2020. However, the prevalence of SFTSV in domestic and wildlife animals and the geographic distribution of the virus within the island remain unknown. A total of 1324 animal samples, including 803 domestic ruminants, 521 wildlife animals and 47 tick pools, were collected from March 2021 to December 2022 from 12 counties and one terrestrial island. The viral RNA was detected by a one-step real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Overall, 29.9% (240/803) of ruminants showed positive SFTSV RNA. Sheep had the highest viral RNA prevalence of 60% (30/50), followed by beef cattle at 28.4% (44/155), goats at 28.3% (47/166), and dairy cows at 27.5% (119/432). The bovine as a total of dairy cow and beef cattle was 27.8% (163/587). The viral RNA prevalence in ticks (predominantly Rhipicephalus microplus) was similar to those of ruminants at 27.7% (13/47), but wild animals exhibited a much lower prevalence at 1.3% (7/521). Geographically the distribution of positivity was quite even, being 33%, 29.1%, 27.5% and 37.5% for northern, central, southern and eastern Taiwan, respectively. Statistically, the positive rate of beef cattle in the central region (55.6%) and dairy cattle in the eastern region (40.6%) were significantly higher than the other regions; and the prevalence in Autumn (September–November) was significantly higher than in the other seasons (p < 0.001). The nationwide study herein revealed for the first time the wide distribution and high prevalence of SFTSV in both domestic animals and ticks in Taiwan. Considering the high mortality rate in humans, surveillance of other animal species, particularly those in close contact with humans, and instigation of protective measures for farmers, veterinarians, and especially older populations visiting or living near farms or rural areas should be prioritized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shift toward renewable energy has become a global trend today. In the past, power producers or the private sector were encouraged to install renewable energy equipment mainly through incentives (e.g., feed-in tariff, tax credits). Some countries also impose "renewable portfolio standards", which mandate power producers to include RE. However, it is rare to see any mandatory requirements on electricity users anywhere in the world. Since 2018, Taiwan's government has started to draft the RPS-TW to establish such obligation; but as a new mechanism, the greatest challenge lies in formulating feasible requirements that are apt to Taiwan's circumstances. This study aimed to assist Taiwan's government in this effort by formulating content that was feasible and meets external expectations regarding the applicable entities, scope, and methods of fulfillment. Once the draft had been revised accordingly, the public (electricity users, environmental groups, general public) were actively consulted, and the draft was modified and optimized based on widely collected feedback. The regulations were ultimately promulgated on 31 December 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]