SWINE FLU: Egypt Slaughters All Pigs To Prevent Outbreak

The Egyptian government began slaughtering pigs today as a preventative measure to stop the spread of the swine flu, reports the AP. Over 300,000 pigs will be killed immediately despite no reported cases of the pandemic in the country.

The state news agency MENA reported to AFP yesterday about the passage of the measure in lower parliament:

"The People's Assembly urged the government to immediately start culling pigs and not to relocate pig-breeding farms away from residential areas for fear of the spread of swine flu," MENA said.

Egypt's 80-million population consists mainly of Muslims, whose religion forbids them from eating pork, as well as an estimated six to 10 percent Christian Copts who may eat pig meat.

CNS News explains that the Egyptians are nervous about a possible swine flu outbreak because of another unrelated illness in the country:

The Egyptian parliament wants all pigs in the country - where they cater largely to the non-Muslim minority - to be slaughtered. Egypt already is on edge because of a surge in cases of unrelated bird flu, which last week claimed a 26th fatality.

Comments

[Egyptian-lady]

08:37 AM on 05/04/2009

well they always say better safe than sorry why wait till the swine flu reaches the pigs here then humans and then try to control the spread amongst them those pigs were raised to be slaughtered for consumption anyways and for people who say that this is prejidice against christians i would like to respond in three points 1st preventing the spread of the disease would save both muslims and fellow christians 2nd i was told by a close christian friend of mine a week ago "they should kill the pigs because we don't eat them that often (their being unhealthy in general & all) and even if we did public health and spread control is more important " 3rd when avian flu struck the government did slaughter whole Bird farms (chicken, geese, ducks) that had any sick birds which i'm sure there's no need to point out are consumed by muslims and christians
in my opinion too this was overdue but better late than never

[SpottyBush]

08:52 AM on 05/02/2009

Another chance for the muslim majority to persecute the Christian minority in this Islama-Republic. If only the corrupt Egyptian government would go after terrorist-swine like the do pigs!

The US Gov't provides Egypt with over billion dollars in aid per year. Egypt is a spawning ground for terrorists including one of the 9/11 cowards.

[research]

06:27 PM on 05/02/2009

Pigs domestication SHOULD be outlawed world wide.

Pig breed deadly pandemics,

perhaps this one,

but definitively previous and future killers.

They wallow in their own Cr@p! what do you expect?

Look it up: pig kill millions of people by breeding flu pandemics.

[SpottyBush]

09:22 AM on 05/03/2009

We can debate factory farming, and corporate agriculture and the spread of disease another time. Almost all domesticated animals carry diseases in one form or another - just as humans do!

Are we going to kill all birds worldwide because they spread disease (west nile virus and avian flu)?

Cows, sheep, chickens all wallow in their own cr@p when sheltered.

Everyone who has a basic understanding of Egypt knows exactly what is happening ... muslims think they can pull a fast one and the world won't notice what they are really doing. We can see right through their agenda!

[Bariis]

02:47 AM on 05/01/2009

LONG OVERDUE, EGYPT! LONG OVERDUE!

[The Lorax]

11:26 PM on 04/30/2009

Gee, this has nothing to do with a religious power play right? Because we already know H1N1 isn't spread by eating pigs.

[dodgingdogma]

08:48 PM on 04/30/2009

I have a theory that it wasn't because of swine flu, but rather, Hosni Mubarak read George Orwell's Animal Farm.

[James Redmond]

06:35 PM on 04/30/2009

The issue in Mexico was the containment of the waste from the pigs being outdoors and having flies carry it to people, how will Egypt care for the waste from all these unnecessarily murdered pigs, considering misdoing so will perhaps ensure the flu?

[RaWash]

07:51 PM on 04/30/2009

the pigs will be slaughtered for consumption NOT extermination, the whole thing is done to prevent future outbreaks, and has nothing to do with the current virus.

[James Redmond]

06:14 PM on 05/04/2009

They don't eat the whole pig, we're talking about that waste being disposed of safely enough to prevent a similar outbreak.

[kparcell]

12:53 PM on 04/30/2009

This might be the most proactive news yet since recombining swine flu with the bird flu endemic in Egypt might easily happen in the body of a pig

[ThomasMc]

11:31 AM on 04/30/2009

What knee-jerk stupidity. When they learn that swine flu isn't spread by pigs, but by humans, will they slaughter all the humans, too?

[FrTown]

02:22 PM on 04/30/2009

Your reply is based purely on r@cism. Why don't you research the subject before you open your big0ted mouth

[gratonite]

03:52 PM on 04/30/2009

What are you talking about? The comment from ThomasMc wasn't racist at all, it was right on. Killing every pig in Egypt to stop the spread of a disease that is spread from human to human is stupid.

[The Lorax]

11:27 PM on 04/30/2009

Huh?

[The Lorax]

11:28 PM on 04/30/2009

It's not knee jerking, it's calculated. And no, it has nothing to do with actualy spreading of a flu virus.

The second part of your comment made me LOL though :)

[TheyCalledMeSandN]

11:03 AM on 04/30/2009

this is completely unfair. over reaction. these farmer will never see compensation for their stock. this is just an excuse to kill the pigs living in urban areas. when the bird flu struck egypt they did NOT kill all chickens!

[TimDanMick]

09:38 AM on 04/30/2009

This is obviously an anti christian act dressed up as public health.

[RaWash]

08:26 PM on 04/30/2009

both Muslims and Christians own pig farms in Egypt, only poor Christians and some visiting tourists actually consume them, the rest is exported (mostly to China).

[piul05]

08:32 AM on 04/30/2009

JumpingCholla,

That's spraying for parasites - no connection with the flu.

Having said that, this culling is pointless as the flu is transmitted human to human - the pig was just a vector.

[JumpingCholla]

03:44 AM on 04/30/2009

So, what's with that picture? Are they gassing them to death, or spraying them with poison? Why do they even raise pigs in Egypt? What a sickening mess.

[issa09]

02:01 AM on 04/30/2009

Egypt! Let My piggies go! Seriously poor babes.

[nairdah]

03:59 PM on 05/01/2009

Please keep your contemptuous and hateful views towards pigs (and the people who farm them) to yourself.

[mlaiuppa]

01:16 AM on 04/30/2009

Since you can get swine flu from people....in what way is this accomplishing anything?

[ThomasMc]

10:01 PM on 04/29/2009

Such knee-jerk stupidity. When they realize it is not passed by pigs, but by humans, are they going to slaughter all the humans, too?

[mydwyf]

01:36 AM on 04/30/2009

Can't disease be spread through mass panic animal slaughter ?