CAIRO: Despite resistance from pig farmers and criticism from the World Health Organization (WHO), Egypt continued slaughtering the nation's pigs and will to do so until the end of May, Saber Abdel Aziz, an official at the General Authority for Veterinary Services, said. The government has so far slaughtered 22,000 pigs, Abdel Aziz said, as a precautionary measure against swine flu. Abdel Aziz, however, did not know how the pigs' remains will be disposed of. Various media reports have criticized the haphazard and unsanitary ways in which pigs were killed and then later moved to different sites. Some have criticized the government for its ill-preparations to dispose of the pigs it decided to slaughter. At a meeting in Damietta last Thursday, members of the General Authority for Veterinary Services called on the government to form a special crisis management committee to deal with a possible virus outbreak. The committee would be tasked with addressing environmental problems that might result from the unsanitary disposal of pigs and the possible outbreak of swine flu in Egypt. The meeting, which took place at the Veterinary Syndicate, also urged the government to raise its safety standards for animal farms and highlighted the importance of constant medical supervision and preventative measures. Veterinarians who attended the meeting also called on the government to conduct research on and produce vaccines for the AH1N1 virus. The Ministry of Health confirmed that no human cases have been detected in the country, refuting media reports that suggested public hospitals have reported suspected cases. By press time, 29 countries confirmed 4,379 cases of swine flu, according to the WHO. Mexico remains the country with the highest number of cases at 1,626 confirmed human cases, including 45 deaths, followed by the United States that so far reported 2,254 confirmed cases, including two deaths. Canada confirmed 280 human cases, including one death, followed by Costa Rica which reported eight cases, including one death. According to the WHO, the following countries reported confirmed cases but no deaths; Argentina (1), Australia (1), Austria (1), Brazil (6), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Colombia (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (2), France (12), Germany (11), Guatemala (1), Ireland (1), Israel (7), Italy (9), Japan (4), Netherlands (3), New Zealand (7), Panama (3), Poland (1), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (3), Spain (93), Sweden (1), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (39).
