Expert: Virus in pigs may pose human risk (5:49 p.m.)
MANILA — Animal and health experts said Wednesday they were conducting an investigation to determine whether the Ebola Reston virus recently discovered in pigs poses a threat to human health.
About a dozen experts from the UN, the World Health Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health were invited to Manila to help the government investigate the virus, first identified in October in northern Philippines.
The discovery not only marked the first time the virus has been found outside of monkeys, but also the first time it has been found in swine, a food-producing animal.
Those factors make the mission “particularly important,” said a joint statement by the investigating organizations.
“We hope to identify the risks certainly for animal health and human health, if there are any,” said Dr. Juan Lubroth of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization and head of the Manila mission. (AP)
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