Pigs May Spread Deadly Ebola Virus

BBC reports that Canadian researchers believe that pigs may be a major transmitter of the most deadly strain of the Ebola virus:

The fruit bat has long been considered the natural reservoir of the infection. But a growing body of experimental evidence suggests that pigs, both wild and domestic, could be a hidden source of Ebola Zaire – the most deadly form of the virus.

Now, researchers from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the country’s Public Health Agency have shown that pigs infected with this form of Ebola can pass the disease on to macaques without any direct contact between the species…

The scientists say that their findings could explain why some pig farmers in the Philippines had antibodies in their system for the presence of a different version of the infection called Ebola Reston. The farmers had not been involved in slaughtering the pigs and had no known contact with contaminated tissues. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20341423

Of course, if humans followed biblical injunctions about not eating swine, there would be a lot less pigs, much less contact with them, and a much reduced risk of this disease.

Pigs transmit a variety of diseases to humans. They may be a factor in some of the pestilences to come.

Swine also have diseases that can pass to humans.

Two articles of possibly related interest may include:

The New Testament Church and Unclean Meats Are foods considered to have been unclean in the Old Testament considered to be food in the New Testament? This article discusses this from the perspective of the New Testament. It also has a list of clean and unclean animals. It also answers the question, is pork healthy or is pork dangerous?
Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse What is the pale horse of death and pestilences? What will it bring and when?