China bans pork from Philippines to prevent virus

China's General Administration of Quality Supervision banned imports of pork from the Philippines after the Ebola-Reston virus was found in four Philippine pig herds at the end of 2008, the Xinhua news agency reported Wednesday (February 11).

It was the first time the virus was found in the livestock, China's official news agency said.

Pork products from the Philippines at Chinese ports will be turned back or destroyed, Xinhua said, citing an online announcement by the government office.

Pig and pork products coming into China via delivery and from travellers also are banned, it said. Pork products found on foreign ships, planes or trains in the country also will be frozen, Xinhua added.

The Ebola virus has four types, and there have been few reports of human deaths from Ebola-Reston, also known as Reston ebolavirus, the news agency said.