Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Australia
China
India
Indonesia
Japan
Malaysia
Philippines
Thailand
Vietnam
Search
Search:
Philippines appeals for help in probing pig virus
By HRVOJE HRANJSKI,Associated Press Writer AP - 26 minutes ago
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine government has appealed for international help in investigating an outbreak of the Ebola Reston virus that has for the first time infected pigs but is not harmful to humans, officials said Friday.
Bureau of Animal Industry Director Davinio Catbagan this week wrote to the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization requesting official assistance, after authorities quarantined three hog farms in the northern Philippines.
The Agriculture Department said in a statement it sent 28 pigs' tissue samples for testing to the Plum Island Animal Disease Center in the U.S. and six were found positive.
Dr. Angel Mateo, director of the bureau's Animal Welfare Division, said Friday no pigs had died of Ebola Reston and a second round of local tests showed animals were no longer infected.
"At the moment, the test results from the quarantined area are negative," he said, adding more tests were planned.
Authorities say the Ebola Reston virus _ first discovered among crab-eating monkeys south of Manila in 1989 _ has caused no known illness among humans. But this is the first time the virus has infected pigs.
Ebola's three other subtypes _ the Zaire, Sudan and Cote d'Ivoire strains _ can cause deadly hemorrhagic fever in humans, according to the World Health Organization.
"We're treating this as a matter of low public health risk," said Caroline-Ann Coulombe, a WHO officer in Manila. "But this is a new animal species (to be infected), and in the Philippines particularly swine are in contact with humans and we do feel it needs more investigation."
She said the WHO was awaiting an official invitation to send a team of experts to the Philippines.
The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that the Philippine government waited until Dec. 10 to make the presence of the virus public, although Manila authorities were notified as early as Oct. 30.
The health and agriculture secretaries took pains to assure the public that pork is safe to eat if it is cooked well _ even munching on roast pig during a Dec. 10 news conference.
In the letter to FAO, Catbagan said the Philippines has consistently acted in a "transparent and responsible" manner in dealing with the outbreak.
That includes putting pork exports on hold, and canceling a plan to send the first ever shipment to Singapore.
___
Associated Press writer Oliver Teves contributed to this report.
___
On the Net:
World Health Organization: http://www.wpro.who.int
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
Average (0 votes)
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: Asia Pacific
RPT-GLOBAL MARKETS-Japan bonds rise after rate cut, dollar fallsReuters - 23 minutes ago
Philippines appeals for help in probing pig virusAP - 26 minutes ago
Chinese manufacturing giant outgrows its cradleAP - 33 minutes ago
Taiwan tycoon gives record donation to build cancer hospitalAFP - 53 minutes ago
Singapore says 10,000 homes bought via deferred paymentReuters - 53 minutes ago
Most Popular – Asia Pacific
Viewed
Oil prices slump to more than four-year lows under 38 dollars
Actress Jennifer Aniston appears naked in GQ magazine
Ageing L'Oreal heiress defends billion-dollar giveaway
US doctors hail near-total face transplant
Chrysler halts manufacturing as clock ticks on gov't bailout
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular