The Egyptian government has ordered the deaths of thousands of pigs, in an over-reaction to the Swine Flue threatened pandemic. Approximately 300,000 pigs have ordered to be slaughtered as a ‘precaution against Swine Flu’, in a country where there have been no reported cases of the disease.

Farmers are furious and some have resisted the order, demanding they receive compensation. The order comes in spite of the fact that Swine Flu cannot be caught through the eating of pork.

The Egyptian parliament wants all pigs slaughtered in the country, where the pig industry caters largely to the 20% non-Muslim minority.

Will there really be no more porkies in Egypt? It is estimated 60,000 pigs are being raised in the Manshiyat Nassir slum, by rubbish collectors.

One commercial ‘confined animal feeding operation’ just north of Cairo, refused to cooperate with Health Ministry workers who were sent to slaughter the animals. The government workers left without completing with the government order.

Cairo says it does it only has the capacity to slaughter around 1000 pigs a day, even if the slaughterhouses worked a full twenty-four hours. Pigs killed will be tested for the disease and the meat stored in freezers for the owners to sell. Egyptian officials are claiming the slaughter is a general health measure.

The threat of a global pandemic is causing a lot of nations to take extra precautions. Particularly in poor countries where there are very weak public health systems. Egypt took a similar type of over-reaction a few years ago, when there was a threat of an outbreak of Avian Flu. Thousands of poultry was ordered destroyed by the government.

Official studies reveal that Swine Flu is present in most pig populations, worldwide. Twenty-five percent of animals, when tested show signs of having either had the disease, or the disease is currently present. It is not common for workers in pig farms, who have contracted Swine Flu, to infect anyone else, apart from their close family members.

A member of the World Health Organization believes claims of over 150 deaths from Swine Flu in Mexico is an error. Mexico says it has 1,614 cases under observation. “The WHO had confirmed that worldwide there had been just seven deaths in Mexico and only 97 confirmed cases of the disease,” says Vivienne Allan, from WHO’s patient safety programme. It is reported there are 109 confirmed cases in the US, with one death. 19 confirmed cases in Canada, 13 in Spain, 8 in Britain, 3 in both Germany and New Zealand, 2 in Israel and one each in Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

The World Health Organization says it will stop using the term Swine Flu, so as to avoid confusion and danger to the pig population. Swine Flu will be known by the term H1N1 influenza A. WHO has raised the pandemic flu alert to level 5. This is one step lower than the highest level, which would indicate a global outbreak of the disease. WHO does not expect to raise the level any higher.

“A and B type influenza, the seasonal influenza accounts for approximately between 250,000 – 500,000 deaths globally each year,“ says the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Only three influenza pandemics have occurred in the last century.

This ticket was posted on Saturday, May 2nd, 2009 at 6:16 am and is filed under health. You can follow any responses to this ticket through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “Is This The Death Of The Pig Industry In Egypt?”

1. dropjack.com Says:
   May 5th, 2009 at 12:15 am

   Is This The Death Of The Pig Industry In Egypt?…

   Who gets to pick up the tab when the Egyptian government orders the death of thousands of pigs? Is this the demise of the pork industry in Egypt?…

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