HEALTH UPDATE. EBOLA jumps to pigs. Only VOLUNTARY curb on pork exports from infected nation

ainitfunny

ainitfunny

Saved, to glorify God.
http://www.wpro.who.int/media_centre/news/news_20090205.htm
Ebola Reston in pigs and humans in the Philippines

MANILA, 1 February 2009–To date, the Government of the Philippines has announced that a total of five pig handlers thought to have come in contact with sick pigs have tested positive for Ebola Reston Virus (ERV) antibodies (IgG) : a backyard pig farmer from Valenzuela City, Metro Manila; two farm workers in Bulacan and one farm worker in Pangasinan (the two farms currently under quarantine in northern Luzon because of ERV infection was found in pigs in 2008) as well as one butcher from a slaughterhouse in Pangasinan. The Philippine Department of Health has said that all five appear to be in good health and say they have not suffered from any significant illnesses in the past 12 months.

From previous and recent findings of humans positive for antibodies against ERV, the virus has shown it can be transmitted to humans, without resulting in illness. However, the evidence available relates only to healthy adults and it would be premature to conclude the health effects of the virus on all population groups. The threat to human health is likely to be low for healthy adults but is unknown for all other population groups, such as immuno-compromised persons, persons with underlying medical conditions, pregnant women and children.

The Philippine Government has announced a combined Department of Health and Department of Agriculture strategy to limit the animal and human health risks of the Ebola Reston Virus and emphasized that local governments, the pig farming industry and the public will play a critical role in the strategy.

The Philippine Government is maintaining its voluntary hold on exports of live pigs and fresh and frozen pork meat and urges the public to purchase pork meat and any other kind of meat only from accredited sources. Should it enter the food chain, ERV in pork meat poses a negligible risk if the meat is handled safely and cooked thoroughly.
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Now doesn't that make you feel all safe, warm and fuzzy trusting of the "AUTHORITIES" decisions? Prior to last fall EBOLA had never before been detected in pigs.
 
Last edited:
LoupGarou

LoupGarou

Ancient Fuzzball
ainitfunny said:
...
Now doesn't that make you feel all safe, warm and fuzzy trusting of the "AUTHORITIES" decisions? Prior to last fall EBOLA had never before been detected in pigs.
Click to expand...

Which makes this whole thing even weirder, since IIRC, this Swine Flu has never been in pigs. Just who the heck is experimenting with these viri here???

Loup
 
fruit loop

fruit loop

Inactive
That would be scary.

I could be wrong, but seem to remember reading that Ebola is though to have been a monkey disease, and that it likely jumped to humans by eating monkey meat.
 
penumbra

penumbra

centrist member
Not to thread drift too far, but eating monkeys is just plain wrong! It's akin to eating your own species. (I don't believe we evolved from monkeys, but it's just too close.)
 
AR15ER

AR15ER

Inactive
penumbra said:
Not to thread drift too far, but eating monkeys is just plain wrong! It's akin to eating your own species. (I don't believe we evolved from monkeys, but it's just too close.)
Click to expand...

There is a place for all of God's creatures, right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.
 
M

momof23goats

Deceased
Now doesn't that make you feel all safe, warm and fuzzy trusting of the "AUTHORITIES" decisions? Prior to last fall EBOLA had never before been detected in pigs.
__________________
this makes ya set up and just go hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,
 
M

meandk0610

Veteran Member
is this a different ebola? i thought ebola was the one where blood starts coming out of everywhere and you die within a few days? :confused:
 
L

ladydkr

Veteran Member
I've never heard of ebola in any place but in Africa. This is strange. It is more scary than the current flu scare. Someone is playing around with bio-chemical and genetic engineering. Read Laurie Barrett's book "The Coming Plague." She is the Rachel Carson of plagues and public health.
 
K

kitara

Contributing Member
This type of ebola, is different than the others, it came from a shipment of monkeys delivered to Reston VA. It is generally not harmful to humans. Ebola has been reported in china... as well as several places in africa, though what the original species that carried the disease, and what animals infect humans is still not known.

K-
 
ainitfunny

ainitfunny

Saved, to glorify God.
Sorry about the link thing:
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_02_03/en/

I will go back and add it to the OP too.

WOW. In going back for the link, I found WHO had CHANGED the story. HERE IS THE NEW VERSION OF THE ABOVE OP.


Ebola Reston in pigs and humans in the Philippines


3 February 2009 -- On 23 January 2009, the Government of the Philippines announced that a person thought to have come in contact with sick pigs had tested positive for Ebola Reston Virus (ERV) antibodies (IgG). On 30 January 2009 the Government announced that a further four individuals had been found positive for ERV antibodies: two farm workers in Bulacan and one farm worker in Pangasinan - the two farms currently under quarantine in northern Luzon because of ERV infection was found in pigs - and one butcher from a slaughterhouse in Pangasinan. The person announced on 23 January to have tested positive for ERV antibodies is reported to be a backyard pig farmer from Valenzuela City - a neighbourhood within Metro Manila.

The Philippine Department of Health has said that the people who tested positive appear to be in good health and have not suffered from any significant illnesses in the past 12 months. The investigation team reported that it was possible that all 5 individuals had been exposed to the virus as a result of direct contact with sick pigs. The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is not common practice among these animal handlers.

From these observations and previous studies of ERV, the virus has shown it can be transmitted to humans, without resulting in illness. However, the evidence available relates only to healthy adults and it would be premature to conclude the health effects of the virus on all population groups. The threat to human health is likely to be low for healthy adults but is unknown for all other population groups, such as immuno-compromised persons, persons with underlying medical conditions, pregnant women and children.

The Philippine Government is conducting contact tracing in relation to the five individuals who tested positive for antibodies. In addition, testing is ongoing for other persons who could have come into contact with sick pigs on the two quarantined farms in the provinces of Bulacan and Pangasinan where pigs co-infected with the Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome (PRRS) and ERV were reported in 2008. The two farms remain under quarantine and the Philippine Government is maintaining its voluntary hold of exports of live pigs and fresh and frozen pork meat.

The Philippine Government has announced a combined Department of Health and Department of Agriculture strategy to limit the animal and human health risks of the Ebola Reston Virus and emphasized that local governments, the pig farming industry and the public will play a critical role in the strategy.

Along with its international partners, the WHO will continue to support the Philippine Government in its efforts to gain a better understanding of the Ebola Reston virus, its effects on humans, and the measures that need to be taken to reduce any risks to human health.



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ainitfunny

ainitfunny

Saved, to glorify God.
NOW READ THIS KIDDIES;
http://www.wpro.who.int/media_centre/press_releases/pr_20090107.htm

FAO/OIE/WHO joint mission to the Philippines to investigate Ebola Reston virus in pigs

MANILA, 7 January 2009—At the invitation of the Government of the Philippines, experts from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have arrived in Manila to participate in a joint mission to further investigate the Ebola Reston virus identified last October in pigs from two farms in the Philippines.

The fact that this is the first time that the virus has been found outside monkeys, and the first time ever, worldwide, that it has been found in swine, a food-producing animal, makes this mission particularly important – especially considering the potential implications for animal and human health and welfare. Since learning about the existence of Ebola Reston in pigs in the Philippines, FAO, OIE and WHO have been fully committed to provide technical assistance to the Government of Philippines.

The mission started on January 6 and will last 10 days. During this period, the joint FAO/OIE/WHO team will work with Philippines counterparts to address, through field and laboratory investigation, important questions as to the source of the virus, its transmission, its virulence and its natural habitat, in order to provide appropriate guidance for animal and human health protection. This work will be only the start of a lengthy process to address these issues.

The field investigation component of the mission starts today. Epidemiologists, laboratory specialists, veterinarians, food safety and public health and risk communication experts from the international agencies as well as from the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health of the Philippines will be working jointly on the investigation.

Preliminary results are expected in a few weeks at the earliest. These first results will enable the planning of further investigations as we move forward with more joint research with our local and international partners. Regular updates on new information will be provided as it becomes available.

In the meantime, it remains safe to consume pork meat, as long as it is purchased in National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) accredited outlets and it is handled and cooked properly. As a reminder:

* Meat should be cooked at a minimum of 70°C in all parts of the food, until there is no pink meat and the juices run clear; this is because most viruses, including this one, are quickly killed when sufficiently heated.

* In the case of uncooked processed pork, it is safe to eat if national safety standards have been met during production, processing and distribution.

* Proper hygiene should be exercised when slaughtering and preparing pork. Food preparation and all utensils (hands, knives, cutting surfaces, bowls, etc) should be cleaned before and after use. Frequent hand washing with soap is important.

* Meat from suspect pigs, sick pigs or pigs found dead should not be eaten nor fed to other animals, and proper hygiene precautions and protection should be taken to dispose of sick or dead pigs.
 
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