The Bureau of Animal Industry in the Philippines is working toward clearing Mindanao of all pig diseases in order to begin exporting pork products to Singapore, according to a report from The Philippine Star.
Davinio Catbagan, director of BAI, said the agency will immediately start testing hogs for any possible infection from the Ebola Reston virus strain. Catbagan also said a team from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has been in the country for a week and will trap bats to check if they are carriers of the virus strain that has infected pigs in Pandi, Bulacan.
The Philippine government has also requested an additional 50,000 CDC test kits from the U.S.
The region has been attacked by a series of diseases – H1N1 virus, foot and mouth disease, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome and now, ERV. As a result, pork product exports have taken a hit.
