Molecular evidence of Ebola
Reston virus infection in Philippine bats.
The Ebolavirus genus includes five species (Sudan, Zaire, Bundibugyo, Tai Forest, and
Reston virus), and the geographical distribution of these species along separate river basins is inconsistent with a highly mobile source.
Only a few mutations in one Ebola virus protein, VP24, may be necessary to render the
Reston virus, which currently circulates in pigs, into a virus that can cause human disease and to develop into a novel health threat.
Reston virus (RESTV), fifth virus of genus Ebolavirus cause disease in other primates.
Health Secretary Janette Garin, meanwhile, allayed fears caused by the reported Ebola
Reston Virus strain found in some monkeys in the country as she stressed that the strain does has not shown any harmful effects on humans.
MANyLA (CyHAN)- Ebola
Reston virus was found among monkeys held captives in a Philippine facility, the country's Department of Health and the Bureau of Animal Industry confirmed on Saturday.
The fifth virus,
Reston virus, does not appear to cause infection in humans, but does infect pigs and nonhuman primates.
As noted below, pigs in the Philippines have been reported to be infected with the nonhuman pathogen Ebola
Reston virus, suggesting that other interim or amplifying hosts may exist.
The Department of Health in the Philippines set up a reporting hotline after a blood sample from a pig farmer worker tested positive for the Ebola
Reston virus in January.
Miranda ME, Yoshikawa Y, Manalo DL, Calaor AB, Miranda NL, Cho F, Ikegami T, Ksiazek TG (2002) Chronological and spatial analysis of the 1996 Ebola
Reston virus outbreak in a monkey breeding facility in the Philippines.
Association of Ebola-related
Reston virus particles and antigen with tissue lesions of monkeys imported to the United States.