Last week the Egyptian government took a precautionary measure
against the possible spread of swine flu. The decision came in response to three reported cases in Israel amongst tourists returning from Mexico. The Egyptian Health ministry called for the immediate slaughter of the country's 300,000 pigs.
Clashes
Cairo pig farmers clash with police over slaughter / AFP
Hundreds of Egyptian capital's residents throw stones, bottles at police arriving to take away their animals for cull in bid to prevent outbreak of swine flu in country. Rubber bullets, tear gas fired to disperse demonstrators
In both Judaism and Islam it is forbidden to eat pork products. It is hard to imagine a country eradicating the entire population of a certain species unless the health risk was indeed dire. Was Egypt's decision necessary and does anyone care?
The most recent press update from the World Health Organization says, "There is also no risk of infection from this virus from consumption of well-cooked pork and pork products."
If there is no threat of death from pork consumption then Egypt's decision makes little sense. China and Russia, for example, have placed a ban on pork exports from the United States and Mexico until the crisis is better understood. All new cases of swine flu being reported around the world are not the result of livestock contamination, but are being spread by humans. If nations are really concerned with preventing the spread of diseases amongst livestock they will reevaluate the conditions of commercial farming facilities.
As of last week the World Health Organization is reporting sixteen countries have cases of the influenza A (H1N1), with 658 confirmed cases, and sixteen deaths. As the world braces for a possible pandemic, the medical research industry must scramble to develop a new vaccine.
Dr. Mary-Paule Kieny, Director for Vaccine Research for the WHO, said in a press conference Friday, "We all know that vaccines are an extremely effective public health tool and in addition, vaccines against seasonal influenza are protective against the death – in severe disease – of millions of people every year".
"But in order to assess whether vaccination with seasonal vaccine would be effective or not serum from vaccinated people has been tested by the US CDC in Atlanta…the current opinion and consensus of the experts and the scientists is that there would be no protection awarded by this vaccine".
Kieny predicts it will take between four and six months to have the first doses of vaccine ready for distribution. What are countries supposed to do until that time when a practical serum is not ready to treat the virus?
At this point, the only thing people can do is use common sense and focus on proper hygiene. People should wash their hands more often and avoid travel to contaminated countries. Wouldn't it make more sense for Egypt to put a freeze on tourism coming from Israel and infected countries around the world if there was really a concern for preventing the virus from spreading?
Egypt
would never consider closing its border with Israel over swine flu because their economy is dependent on tourism. The decision to destroy 300,000 pigs in the name of public safety is immoral and doesn't make any sense.
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