Does Ebola Reston cause disease in pigs?
Pigs can become infected but it is not known if they can become ill. It cannot be ruled out that other microbes or viruses, such as PRRS, may have caused illness and fatalities on the farms where the Reston Ebola infected pigs were bred and raised. The FAO is hopeful that appropriate laboratory tools can soon be developed to test swine and other animals throughout the Philippines. This will enable the FAO and the Philippines Department of Agriculture to determine how extensive the Ebola Reston infection is, whether Ebola Reston virus is still present in the pig population. The Philippines Department of Agriculture in collaboration with international partners is also planning to undertake laboratory experimental inoculation of pigs to evaluate if Ebola Reston can cause disease in pigs under laboratory conditions.
