The discovery of a form of ebola virus in pigs has experts worried that it may mutate and threaten humans, the Associated Press reported.
Reston ebolavirus (REBOV), which is not known to cause illness in humans, has previously only been found in people and monkeys. But in an article published Friday in the journal Science, researchers said they found the virus in pigs in the Philippines.
It's theoretically possible for REBOV to mutate in pigs into a form that could cause sickness in humans, the scientists said. But they added that some farm workers who tend the pigs were also infected with the virus but showed no signs of illness, the AP reported.