Reem Leila reports on the potential threat posed by swine flu As more cases of avian flu emerge the government is recalibrating measures aimed at containing the virus, stepping up the precautionary measures first introduced when the disease appeared in Egypt in February 2006. The People's Assembly on Tuesday finally passed a law regulating the transport and selling of fowl after it remained on the back burner for two years. Slaughtering birds is now only permitted in licensed slaughter houses. Violating the new regulations carries a fine of between LE1,000 and LE10,000, as well as a possible jail term of six months. The situation has grown more urgent with the outbreak of swine flu in Mexico, which the World Health Organisation (WHO) warns could threaten a global pandemic. The H1N1 virus among pigs is a hybrid of human seasonal influenza type A, the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu and ordinary swine flu. Human symptoms, says the WHO, include a fever of more than 37.8 degrees, aching muscles, coughing, sore throat, respiratory problems and, in some cases, vomiting and diarrhoea. In a press conference at the Ministry of Health on Sunday night health officials confirmed that pigs formed the most likely route for any viral mutation capable of human to human transmission. "What really concerns us most are people who come into contact with pigs," said one official. Israel has already reported two cases of people infected with swine flu, leading to fears the disease could cross Egypt's Eastern border. The People's Assembly Health Committee had discussed the possibility of culling pigs in Egypt. A decision was taken yesterday to cull the 350,000 pigs upon President Hosni Mubarak's meeting with the concerned ministers. "We have been calling for the removal of pigpens from populated areas since 2006," says Hamdi El-Sayed, head of the PA's Health Committee. "Workers who are in contact with pigs must be monitored continuously, and the livestock thoroughly assessed." Coptic MPs supported calls for a general cull. MP Ibtesam Habib says that "we are all calling for the elimination of all pigs in the country." "What we should be concerned about is the fate of those working with pigs," she added. "They must be financially compensated." Minister of State for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Moufid Shehab responded to MPs' arguments by which several committees discussed the issue and a final decision was reached. The threat in Egypt is compounded by the fact that many pig farms neighbour poultry units. While the H5N1 virus continues to infect a growing number of people, the looming fear is that the virus may mutate within pigs to form a deadly strain easily transmitted between people. "Egypt has not yet reported any cases of H1N1 among its pig population," says Abdel-Rahman Shahin, official spokesman at the Ministry of Health. "The government is treating the matter objectively, neither overestimating nor underestimating the threat." Health workers are being trained to diagnose swine flu symptoms. Physicians are currently collecting blood samples from people in direct and indirect contact with pigs. Arrivals from Mexico at Egyptian ports and airports are being screened for flu-like symptoms. "Passengers coming from countries that have reported cases of swine flu and who test negative for the virus will be monitored by the Health Ministry. Others will be banned from entering the country," says Shahin. The official spokesman adds that cards will be issued so health employees can continue monitoring visitors throughout their stay in Egypt. The first human case of bird flu in Egypt was reported on 16 February 2006. Since then 68 cases have been recorded, 18 of them in the last four months. A total of 26 patients have died. No vaccine offers specific protection against swine flu and it is unclear the extent to which current human flu vaccines help. Hamed Samaha, head of the General Authority for Veterinary Services (GAVS), has urged the government to consider moving pig farms away from populated areas. GAVS is now engaged in doing spot checks among Egypt's pig population, taking daily blood samples. The potential problem, he says, is compounded by the fact that a vaccine has yet to be produced offering protection from the newly discovered H1N1 strain of swine flu. Samaha estimates that should an outbreak occur, it will infect up to a quarter of those who are in contact with pigs. Public information campaigns about the dangers of bird flu have been ineffective, says Samaha, and the threat posed by pig farms operating in densely populated areas is not properly appreciated. He criticises poultry and pig farmers for failing to apply bio-security measures or vaccinate their animals. "It is essential that district chiefs inspect poultry retail shops to check that retailers are not selling live birds." Samaha has also called for a complete ban on the transport of live poultry and the stringent application of the decree prohibiting the slaughtering of birds outside slaughter houses. "The government must immediately close down farms where farmers have failed to report infections. To rid Egypt of H5N1 all regulatory procedures must be applied strictly. Otherwise the virus will continue here forever." A stroll through Cairo's streets provides abundant evidence that shops selling live birds continue to operate, despite a recent decree ordering their closure. "Everything is calm. We have received no notification of any closure orders. Nor are we being inspected as happened three years ago," says Sayed Othman, owner of a poultry shop. The Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation has announced that a draft law, initially planned to be passed in May 2007, preventing the trade and transport of live poultry between governorates will soon be ready to present to the People's Assembly. Mona Mehrez, head of the Central Laboratory for Poultry Monitoring at the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, also says that the satellite unit created two years ago to map the site of poultry farms as well as poultry being reared domestically will finally begin its work. Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif last week gave the go ahead for GAVS to import 900,000 additional doses of bird flu vaccines. A fund to compensate poultry farmers for any losses they incur is also to be set up. "The government will collect 10 piastres from poultry farmers for each bird on their farm and a one per cent fee on imported vaccines, poultry medicines and fodder, in order to finance the fund. So far this year more than 50,000 mature fowl and 60,000 chicks have been culled after being found to carry the deadly strain of bird flu," says Mehrez. The capacity of existing slaughter houses is equal to just half of the estimated 850 million birds killed each year, yet despite a LE500 million donation from Kuwait to upgrade slaughter houses and create new, automated abattoirs, Samaha says nothing has been done to date. He blames the municipalities and Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs for laxity in dealing with the issue. "It is very difficult to change people's behaviour in a few years. It is a process that takes time. The problem is that we may not have much time," he warns. Samaha blames the increasing number of infections among humans on the inefficiency of the imported vaccine. "There is an urgent need to develop a vaccine specifically tailored to local fowl," he says. The Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs has issued a map showing the location of pig farms. There are nine pens within Greater Cairo, four in the governorate of Cairo, at Ezbet Al-Nakhl, Mansheyat Nasser, Batn Al-Baqara and Al-Qatameya, one in the governorate of Giza, at Al-Moatamadeya, one in the Sixth of October, at Al-Baragil, and three in Helwan. In a recent press statement, the Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs said all pig farms located in Greater Cairo will be removed to 15 May city. No timetable for the move was announced. Egypt's pig population is estimated at 350,000.
