THE TIMESONLINE UK reports that the Egyptian Ministry of Health announced today that all pigs must be slaughtered, or “culled,” to prevent risk of a mutation environment for the influenza A, currently known as “swine flu,” and that riots of the poorest people in Egypt erupted among a significant but little noticed underclass of Egyptian citizens who eat and depend on pork–the Coptic Christian community.

Though nerves were on edge, the government of Egypt is defensive of its decision and chagrined at the suggestion of deliberate intent to humiliate people and waste their animals.

Anxiety over the loss of their animal stock sparked accusations that President Mubarak or his advisors were hasty in this decision due to an inherent disregard for pork as a food product. The street protests reflect the anger of the Coptic community, who lack of information indicating the potential for a true pandemic.

Joseph Domenech, chief veterinary office with the UN Food and Agriculture Officer in Rome, said the Egyptian order was “a real mistake”.
–as reported by Philippe Naughton for TIMES ONLINE UK

UN Food & Agriculture Officer, Joseph Domenech, responded to queries in Rome that the decision was overkill yet the World Health Organisation (WHO) describes the current strain as an inexplicable mashup of genetic expression, linking it to human, avian and swine strains of influenza A.

Pandemic flu could further express in any of these three hosts, though it is unlikely that a super strain would emerge.

Today the WHO issued a declaration of LEVEL 5 alert for pandemic flu, initiating a cascade of measures related to public health and safety around the world.

Certainly governments have not forgotten the lessons of Hurricane Katrina, nor do small farms anywhere in the world recuperate quickly from the economic flu that results from culling of herds. UK farmers have had to cull many cattle and farm animals in recent years to control or eradicate disease.

Historically, the UK has used the practice of “culling”–the slaughter and proper disposal of herds–to battle animal diseases as modern and misunderstood as BSE, more commonly known as “mad cow disease,” and as ancient as the pestilence known as “foot and mouth” disease, which is difficult to eradicate among closely kept farm animals and highly contagious to neighboring farms.

Coptic Christians of Egypt will need compassion to go along with the compensation promised by their government, around 200USD each. As many argued in the streets today, this only pays for the pig, not the promise the animal held for food and herd management.

The Egyptian authorities are reasonably skeptical regarding inherent difficulties in the management of pig farms.

BY: Etta B Dickerson
etta.net

source:
TIMES ONLINE UK
EGYPTIAN CHRISTIANS RIOT AFTER SWINE FLU CULL