World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific

Ebola Reston

Ebola-Reston in pigs in the Philippines (2008):
Situation Summary (Updated 19 December 2008)

On Wednesday December 10, 2008, the Philippine Department of Agriculture and the Philippine Department of Health announced that an Ebola virus of the Reston species has been identified from sick pigs in three locations in the Philippines. This is the first time globally that domestic pigs are reported to have been infected with an Ebola virus.

In 2008, high rates of sickness and death in pigs prompted the Philippines Veterinary Services to launch an investigation. Testing of pig samples taken in May, June and September 2008 confirmed that pigs from Nueva Ecija, Bulacan and Pangasinan provinces were co-infected with Porcine Respiratory Reproductive Syndrome (PRRS) virus and the Ebola Reston virus.

As a precaution, the affected areas are currently under full quarantine. The Philippines Department of Agriculture is reporting that there are currently no reports of unusual illness or deaths in pigs on the affected farms. In addition the Department of Agriculture also states that, nationwide, there are currently no reports of unusual illness or unexpected deaths in pigs.



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