Palace: Measures in Place to Address Ebola Virus Found in Breeding-Facility Monkeys
A Malacañang spokesperson on Monday said measures are in place to address the cases of Ebola Reston virus (ERV) discovered in the Philippines.
In a press briefing, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said the Philippine Inter-agency Committee on Zoonoses has existed since 2011 to respond to animal-based infectious diseases.
The inter-agency body — composed of the departments of Health, Agriculture, and Environment and Natural Resources — was created through Administrative Order 10.
“Nagtutulong-tulong sa pagpapatupad ng mga programa at istratehiya upang pigilan, kontrolin, sugpuin ang mga tinaguriang zoonotic diseases o ang mga sakit na naililipat mula sa mga hayop tungo sa tao at vice versa,” Coloma said.
The Palace official reiterated an earlier Deaprtment of Health statement that the ERV is different from the deadly Ebola virus discovered in West Africa.
“Ang klase ng Ebolang ito ang Ebola Reston ay dati nang nakita sa bansa at naidokumento ng DOH na hindi nakapagdudulot ng anumang sakit sa tao,” Coloma said.
Over the weekend, the DOH confirmed that monkeys in an undisclosed facility in the country have tested positive for ERV.
Health Secretary Janet Garin said that the virus has been contained in a facility, noting that blood samples from 25 staff members tested negative for the virus. — Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez/JDS, GMA News