Make sure pork is safe and cooked, DOH reminds public

While it reassured the public that there is no outbreak of the Ebola Reston virus, the Department of Health reminded consumers Tuesday to make sure their pork is properly inspected and thoroughly cooked. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III made the call after Malacañang ordered the health and agriculture departments to prepare for a possible spread of the virus. "Dapat di tayo maalarma. Siguraduhin natin ang karneng baboy na binibili may NMIS seal. At dapat niluluto ang karneng baboy nang sapat. Huwag hayaang magkaroon ng dugo o hilaw na bahagi ang karneng baboy, siguraduhing lutung-luto (We should not be alarmed. But we should make sure the pork we buy has the seal of the National Meat Inspection Service. And we should make sure the pork is thoroughly cooked. There should be no blood or raw meat)," Duque said in an interview on dzXL radio. But other than that, Duque said there has been no serious threat to humans so far. He said humans infected with Ebola Reston have so far recovered quickly. "Wala tayong ulat na may namatay dahil sa Ebola Reston (So far we have not come across any report of people dying from Ebola Reston)," he said. Still, Duque said the public should take precautions, such as buying pork from trusted sources instead of mobile vendors. He said mobile vendors will be hard to track down in case the meat bought from them turns out to be tainted or "double dead." EO 826 Earlier, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued Executive Order 826, designating Duque and Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap to act as crisis managers in case of a possible spread of the virus. Under EO 826, Yap will handle the containment and prevention of the virus’ infection in animals, primarily livestock and poultry. Duque is tasked to restrict the entry and movement of people coming from areas where an infection has been suspected or detected. Yap was empowered to condemn and slaughter pigs and other animals found infected with the Ebola Reston virus. He was also ordered to trace and monitor, with the help of the environment department, the sanctuaries of possible reservoirs of the virus and and their movement. Duque was tasked to conduct surveillance, rigid screening, identification, and even isolation of people who are suspected to be carrying the virus in order to prevent transmission. He was also directed to cure or minimize sickness and death of infected people. The Ebola Reston virus was first discovered in northern Philippines while health authorities were conducting tests on pigs. After the discovery, the DOH and DA placed under quarantine some 10,000 pigs in two farms in Bulacan and Pangasinan provinces. [See: Hog culling in ERV-hit Bulacan farm completed] - GMANews.TV