Health Journal Entry

Pig Infects Person With Ebola (February 2, 2009)

Heath officials in the Philippines say a pig handler got the Ebola virus from an infected pig. It's the first known case anywhere in the world of the virus getting transmitted from a pig to a human. The strain of the virus, called Ebola Reston, is not thought to be dangerous to people. The infected worker picked up the virus six months ago but shows no signs of illness.

Still, the news is alarming. Like apes, monkeys, and bats, pigs are often carriers of viruses that move from animals to humans. The difference is people have much more contact with pigs than with these other animals. Pigs can be carriers of other more contagious and deadly strains of Ebola virus.

Ebola Reston is normally a monkey virus. It was first found in monkeys from the Philippines that died soon after arrving at a laboratory in Virginia in 1989. Last year, the virus was found in four pigs in the Philippines. Researchers think the pigs caught the virus from fruit bats.

The more dangerous strains of Ebola virus found in Africa can cause uncontrollable bleeding from the gums and body openings. The virus passes from person to person through infected bodily fluids. Family members or health workers often get sick while taking care of infected people or when burying the dead. Ebola first surfaced in Africa in 1976. Health experts say eating or handling infected meat, especially from primates or antelopes, is how the virus usually spreads to people.