CAIRO: As the number of confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus (swine flu) continues to increase globally, officials assured that Egypt has not detected any cases, whether among humans or pigs.
However, more than 648 pigs were slaughtered in Cairo and Alexandria, while another 240 were slaughtered in various governorates as part of the government’s plan to cull Egypt’s estimated 300,000 pigs, despite the opinion of international organizations that the extreme measure is entirely unnecessary.
“There have been no suspected cases,” Abdel-Rahman Shahin, health ministry spokesman, told Daily News Egypt.
A suspected case in Gharbiya governorate tested negative and was released earlier today after being held in hospital for further tests as a precautionary measure upon returning from Mexico.
“We have very strict health measures at Hurghada, Luxor and Aswan airports as well as other air and sea ports to prevent any cases from entering the country,” he said.
According to Shahin, an addiction rehabilitation hospital near the airport with a capacity of 107 beds was re-equipped to handle H1N1 flu patients in case of an emergency.
Minister of Health Hatem El-Gabaly announced that the ministry is coordinating with the airports authority, deploying physicians to accompany flights coming from infected areas. There are plans to equip airports with thermal detection devices as well.
The government also promised to pay LE 30 million in the initial phase of compensation for the breeders. Eight families from Batn El Baqara area in Old Cairo have received their compensation already, according to state press reports.
“The government’s decision to get rid of all pigs is irreversible and we are giving financial subsidies to breeders as incentives for them to cooperate and to compensate them. Most of them complied, the rest will be dealt with strictly to implement the decision,” Minister of Agriculture Amin Abaza was quoted as saying in the independent Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper.
“After culling all the existing pigs, we plan to take veterinary procedures to sanitize existing farms and reestablish them according to international health and environmental standards,” Abaza said.
"This will allow for better supervision by veterinary authorities," he added.
Clashes erupted Sunday between breeders and security forces as veterinary teams tried to haul their pigs. The clashes left 12 injured, including seven policemen and 14 arrested.
Mohamed Khalil Kwaitah, MP affiliated with National Democratic Party (NDP), said that it was a natural response from those people as they saw their livelihood threatened.
"The majority of MPs support the government’s decision to cull pigs and compensate breeders; however, we are monitoring how the government will handle the issue and we will hold it accountable," he told Daily News Egypt.
Internationally, 20 countries have officially reported 985 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection, according to the World Health Organization’s update on Monday.
"Mexico has reported 590 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 25 deaths; while, The United States has reported 226 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death," said a WHO statement.
According to the statement, the following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths: Austria (1), Canada (85), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Costa Rica (1), Colombia (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (2), France (2), Germany (8), Ireland (1), Israel (3), Italy (1), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (4), Republic of Korea (1), Spain (40), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (15).
