July 13, 2009
Ebola virus growing concern in the Philippines
There is growing concern over a type of Ebola virus that has been detected in pigs from the Philippines.
Researchers are concerned that there is a possibility that the virus could mutate, thus putting humans at risk of contracting it.
According to Philippine officials, out of 141 people tested, six of them who either worked on pig farms or with swine products were found with antibodies to the Ebola Reston virus, which means they might have been infected by pigs at some time.
Although none of them fell ill, scientists from the Philippines and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US warned the virus could change.
Researchers said REBOV (Ebola-Reston virus) infection in domestic swine raises concern about the potential for emerging disease in humans and a wider range of livestock.
They said that the strain of Ebola found in pigs appears to be more common in primates, thus it is odd to find it in pigs. The virus causes viral hemorrhagic fevers, which result in bleeding and coagulation, and can lead to death.
The Philippines slaughtered 6,000 pigs at a hog farm north of the capital Manila to prevent the spread of the virus earlier this year.
The appearance of new or potentially dangerous microbes in farmed animals, like pigs, is always a major concern as they make up the food chain and come in close physical contact with people.
