Quarantine vs Ebola still in effect

Jenny F. Manongdo

Government officials said the quarantine order of the two hog farms where the Ebola Reston virus was found last year remains until laboratory results from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia confirm that there is no threat to human and animal health.

Last week, a joint mission composed of experts in human and animal health belonging to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the World Health Organization (WHO) and their national counterparts arrived in the two farms to conduct an investigation on the Ebola Reston virus (ERV) in pigs in the Philippines.
The first discovery of ERV in the Philippines was in 1989 when exported monkeys to the US and Italy were found to have the virus, World Health Organization (WHO) records indicate.

Department of Health (DoH) secretary Francisco T. Duque III said ERV is found only among Philippine monkeys. This is the first time the virus has been seen among swine, Duque said.

The team of experts conducted risk assessment, field investigations and collection of samples in the two affected pig farms in Pandi, Bulacan and another in Manaoag, Pangasinan.

Duque said result of the laboratory test is due in the next few weeks.

The joint mission also conducted an assessment test on the laboratory capability of the Research Institute on Tropical Medicine (RITM) and the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI). Duque said the team of experts has committed 'to help capacitate these laboratories in improving diagnostic proficiency and bio-safety standards for detecting and managing similar Zoonotic (animal) diseases.

Meanwhile, in a joint statement with the DoH, Agriculture secretary Arthur Yap said he has also ordered the continued voluntary export ban of raw and processed swine products which began last December.

"We decided to keep the farms in quarantine and suspend the export of our hogs until we have a better grasp of the extent, nature and consequences of the Reston virus to the health of animals and humans," Yap explained.

"I have ordered the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) to strengthen the routine monitoring functions of all existing veterinary quarantine check points to ensure that only healthy pigs are sold for slaughter. The National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) was also instructed to reinforce its efforts in safeguarding meat entering markets," he added.

The government has also vowed to review food safety protocols for the improvement of that will ensure that food is safe from farm to plate.

Duque and Yap again reminded the public to purchase meat that has been approved by the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) so they can be assured that is has been properly inspected and declared safe to eat by experts.