Philppines-Pig disease being monitored.

PHILIPPINES-PID DISEASE.

Veterinary authorities in Misamis Oriental have told Sun Star of the Philippines that they are closely monitoring signs of Ebola Reston in the province, as four people have been reported to have contracted the rare virus through pig-to-human transmission.

Dr Alfonso Ramosa, the province’s veterinary chief, said they are being extra cautious about Ebola Reston – first discovered among monkeys in Luzon in 1989 – because "we could not specifically tell the symptoms and effect of the Ebola virus on hogs."

He said they are closely coordinating with the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Agriculture in monitoring the disease for immediate containment.

The province’s livestock industry is still reeling from last year’s hog cholera outbreak, which killed over 2,000 pigs. Hundreds of pigs also died in Cagayan de Oro.

The outbreak led to a massive vaccination program all over Region 10, in which at least 34,000 pigs in Misamis Oriental alone were vaccinated.