Palace orders tight watch on Ebola-affected hogs

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang ordered yesterday the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health to intensify its monitoring of Ebola Reston virus-affected pigs.

In an interview over the government-owned Radyo ng Bayan, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said aside from the “depopulation” of “Ebola Res­ton virus-affected” pigs in Bulacan, the DA and DOH must ensure that no more pigs are affected by the virus.

“We are expecting that both the DA and DOH will have more intensive monitoring and fast and quick response involving this problem in order to ensure the safety and health of our people,” Remonde said.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap earlier ordered the depopulation of 6,000 pigs in a farm in Pandi, Bulacan that are believed to be Ebola Reston virus-affected to prevent the spread of the virus.

Yap said there are traces and evidence of an ongoing viral transmission on the pigs from Pandi, Bulacan.

He said that through the help of the Regional Institute for Tropical Medicine and the United States Centers for Disease Control, the government tested 160 pig blood samples, 133 of which came from the Bulacan farm and 27 from the Pangasinan farm.

Of the 133 blood samples from Bulacan, Yap said 19 tested positive for ERV.

He said none of 27 samples from Pangasinan were affected.

Pork shortage

In related developments, the mass slaughter and disposal of 6,000 pigs exposed to Ebola Reston virus in a hog farm at Pandi town remained to be undertaken as officials said it will take five to seven days to finish.

They allayed fears of possible pork shortage as they plan to widen surveillance on the ERV to Pangasinan in the north and Southern Tagalog.

Dr. Davinio Catbagan of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said in a press conference held at the Hiyas ng Bulacan Convention Center on Friday that they will slaughter at least 1,000 pigs everyday and it might take them to complete the task from five to seven days.

He said, “we still can’t determine when to start, but it will be at the soonest possible time after we get the logistics ready.”

He said the pigs will be slaughtered using stunning gun, captive bolt and electric prods and will be burned using rice hulls before burying them in a pit dug inside the hog farm.

Dr. Reildrin Morales of the BAI furthered that residents living near the hog farm need not worry of the depopulation process. 

He said, “gagamitan namin ng sludge at rice hulls para hindi mausok at siguradong magiging uling ang mga baboy para tiyak na walang kakatas sa water table.” 

Officials also said that the procedure will be off limits to the public to prevent possible spread of the virus which is the primary purpose of the depopulation.

A sub-type of the dreaded Ebola virus found in Africa, the low pathogenic ERV was first discovered in 1989 from monkeys imported from Laguna by a laboratory based in Reston, Virginia, thus, the name Ebola Reston. 

The virus re-emerged in the mid-90s on monkeys, then In December from tissue samples taken from pigs in a hog farm in Pandi town.

Last month, officials from the Health and Agriculture departments announced that six individuals from Pandi, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija and Valenzuela City were found positive for Ebola Reston virus anti-bodies.

However, despite discovery of anti-bodies, Catbagan admitted that no vaccine is available yet to combat the virus.

“Wala pang bakuna para sa Ebola Reston, pero mayroon tayong remedyo,” Catbagan said noting the depopulation was meant to stop the virus from spreading.

He also said that they will plan to extend surveillance of the virus from Pangasinan in the north and Southern Tagalog.