Ebola virus recently discovered in dead pigs

Global animal and health authorities’ emergency mission to the Philippines is investigating whether the strain of deadly Ebola Reston virus, recently discovered in dead pigs, poses a threat to human health.

Unlike more-deadly strains of Ebola virus, Philippine health officials say this particular strain, known as the Reston ebolavirus, has never caused human illness or death, and it’s not immediately clear there is a public-health issue.

A 22-member team of experts from three United Nations agencies arrived in Manila on Tuesday for a joint risk assessment on the virus contamination of local swine, to help the government contain the outbreak.

The mission will coordinate with the Philippine counterparts – the Departments of Agriculture and Health. According to chief veterinary officer, Davinio P. Catbagan, six of 28 swine samples tested positive for Ebola-Reston by the U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratory.

The infected pigs came from two commercial and two backyard farms in three provinces north of Manila. Both Ebola and related Marburg hemorrhagic fever, are considered to infect humans via primates.

The Straits Times reported that as of December, about 6,000 pigs at Pandi, Bulacan and Talavera farms had tested positive for the Ebola-Reston virus.

“Eating pork remained safe as long as it is handled and cooked properly (at a minimum of 70 degrees Celsius or 158 degrees Fahrenheit) and bought in outlets accredited by the government’s National Meat Inspection Service,” said a joint statement by the World Health Organisation (WHO), World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

“Our teams are doing field and laboratory investigation to determine where the Ebola-Reston virus came from and how it was transmitted,” Caroline-Anne Coulombe, WHO risk communications officer, explained.