MANILA, Philippines - Butchering dead horses and eating their meat has been banned in
the southern Philippines due to the reported deaths of people who
contracted Nipah virus in two villages in the southern Philippines in
April.
The incident was investigated by representatives of the World Health
Organisation (WHO) in May, but was not reported to the public, sources
told Gulf News on Friday.
“The ban was not formalised although it is strictly enforced. It is
part of an ongoing surveillance in Tinalon and Midtungok villages, in
the municipality of Senater Ninoy Aquino, a province in Sultan Kudarat.
The order came from village-level representatives of the health and
agriculture departments in the two villages after 13 people had died
when they [butchered] 10 previously dead horses and ate their meat in
April, a chain that also affected cats and dogs,” said a source who
requested for anonymity.
The order came from village-level representatives of the health and
agriculture departments in the two villages after 13 people had died
when they [butchered] 10 previously dead horses and ate their meat in
April, a chain that also affected cats and dogs,” said a source who
requested for anonymity.
Manila’s health department did not formally announce the suspected
outbreak of Nipah Virus-related cases when it occurred in Sultan
Kudarat, the source added.
Nipah Virus was blamed for the death of horses, residents, cats, and
dogs in Tinalon and Midtungkok villages.
The horses were initially
contaminated by fruit bats that belong to the family Pteropodidae,
endemic in one of the two affected villages and a known natural
reservoir of Nipah Virus. Residents, cats, and dogs died because they
ate contaminated horse meat, according to a paper published this year by
Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Source: Agency
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