A health group on Saturday criticized government's handling of the of the ebola-reston virus in the country, noting authorities remain clueless as to what exactly the virus can do to humans and animals.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said there are still a lot of unanswered questions about the ebola reston virus.

Although the five Filipino males who were exposed to the virus did not get sick in the last 12 months, it is still uncertain what effect prior exposure to the virus will have on them in the future, and if those with weaker resistance will not get sick.

“There was no telling what the virus could have done if other individuals who do not have robust immune systems were to be infected," Dr. Julia Hall of the WHO said.

That is why the Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD), a national organization of health professionals, workers and students, is worried why the government seems to be too complacent about the discovery of ebola reston in humans in this country.

The group is asking how the government can be sure that proper cooking and handling will prevent the spread of the virus when the mode of transmission of the virus to humans in hog farms is still unknown.

The government should also take into consideration the lone human subject in 1989, who still got sick but quickly recovered when exposed to the virus.

They believe authorities should be more aggressive in handling the situation, like its campaign against the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003.

“Hindi natin alam kung ano ang magiging effect nito sa future. The DOH (Department of Health) should have a clear statement, not to give complacency but not to cause panic,” HEAD secretary-general Dr. Geneve Rivera said.

The DOH said it still is not certain what effect the virus will have on humans and animals, but as of now, the discovery of the virus in hog farms is considered a low risk situation.

"What we're saying is that the evidence that we have is that it presents no risk to human health," Health Secretary Francisco Duque said.

The government is still awaiting results of the investigation on whether the virus can indeed be transferred from pigs to humans. -- Joey Villarama, ABS-CBN News