Fear over the spread of swine flu and the true intentions of the new Israeli government give Doaa El-Bey jitters Calls for moving pig farms from residential areas was heard before, but now are ringing after the spread of swine flu. The official daily Al-Ahram wrote about the measures that several ministries and institutions have taken in an emergency meeting to discuss the danger of swine flu which recently broke out in Mexico and other countries and ways to contain it. They agreed that a decree to move pig farms from dense residential areas to an area designated for them should be activated. Meanwhile, the Institution for Veterinary Care called on its branches in all governorates to monitor pigs and conduct a regular clinical check on them, the newspaper continued on its front page. The newspaper's editorial regarded the spread of the disease in Mexico as a loud warning to Egyptian officials not only to take measures to combat swine flu but also to contain bird flu which has taken the lives of many simple folks. The alarm bells should underline that we have not been able to contain bird flu up till now and that thousands of pigs are being raised in dense residential areas. It is time for officials to stop toning down the danger of any disease or epidemic and stop issuing rosy statements rather than taking the necessary measures to face the danger, be it a virus or something else. "Egypt is not far from the illness because it has pig farms, and many visitors and tourists coming in and out. The world has become a small village. Thus, officials should take all the necessary measures to contain the danger," the editorial read. Mohamed Barakat wrote that the cursed virus which scientists predicted would appear one day, has become a reality. "The danger of the virus is absolute as there is no vaccine to protect one from it, or treatment to cure it," Barakat added in the official daily Al-Akhbar. The danger of swine flu forces us to take all necessary measures that we were supposed to take three years ago when bird flu started in Egypt. All experts clearly pointed then to the dangers pigs could play in spreading bird flu and the development of the strain of the virus within their body. However, nobody listened. They also called for moving pig farms away from dense residential areas, but again nobody listened. Barakat regarded that period as a chance to review the efforts exerted to contain and combat bird flu. He wrote that it was important to admit that these efforts had become lax in the past few months. As a result, all the efforts exerted in the last two years were wasted and the virus reappeared as a possible epidemic. He concluded by calling on all involved bodies to react quickly and decisively to deal with bird flu and the approaching danger of swine flu. The independent daily Al-Masry Al-Yom pointed to the danger of a union of the viruses of bird, swine and human flu that may change into an epidemic spreading throughout the world. Meanwhile, the newspaper added in its front page coverage of the crisis a report issued by the Institution for Animal Services which stated that normal flu jabs cannot protect from swine flu. Thus, severe limits should be imposed on the movement of pigs and under veterinary supervision. The newspaper provided a map that showed that Greater Cairo is besieged by nine big pig farms. While it pointed to the urgent call made by the Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs to moving these pig farms to an area designated for them in 15 May city suitable for rearing pigs and treating garbage, it reported that the move will not be without problems. In addition to farm owners' reluctance to move, residents of 15 May are planning to go to court in protest against moving the farms near to where they live. Some residents say the area designated for pig farms is just a few kilometres away from their homes. Gamal Abdel-Gawwad focussed on the causes of the spread of swine flu among humans. He wrote that the quick spread is directly related to over population in Mexico City, Bangkok, Jakarta and other big Third World cities. These cities have become a refuge for poor villagers who escape from unemployment and poverty in their villages. The cities have grown out of proportion in the last few decades in the absence of any sound management. As a result they suffer from problems in transportation, cleanliness, housing, environment and the absence of green areas. "The absence of a balance between the growth of villages and cities is responsible for the formation of densely populated cities. And these cities are a suitable breeding ground for the spread of epidemics," Abdel-Gawwad wrote in the independent daily Nahdet Masr. The daily Al-Wafd, mouthpiece of the Wafd Party, warned that swine flu approached the Egyptian borders because there was a suspected case in Israel. The newspaper highlighted, on its front page, the importance of moving pig farms from Cairo. In the back page, the newspaper stated that there are dozens of pig farms in Cairo, Giza, Qalioubiya and 6 October governorates but that officials had failed in all these governorates to protect the life of the Egyptian citizen from diseases spreading in these farms. "The Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs distributed a map showing where pig farms are in Egypt. But when will the state bodies move to protect the Egyptian citizen from swine flu so that it will not become a serious health problem like bird flu?" the newspaper asked. The spread of swine flu overshadowed celebrations marking the 27th anniversary of the return of Sinai to Egypt. Still the anniversary did not pass unnoticed. Ahmed Ebeid wrote that 25 April will always be a day to remember because it is a genuine symbol of the history of Egyptian struggle in defence of Egyptian land. He reviewed the Egyptian attempts to rebuild the army after the 1967 defeat, the great 1973 victory, followed by the peace initiative in 1977. Ebeid hailed the efforts, strength and will of the leaders and the people because without them Israel would have never returned Sinai or Taba to Egypt. However, he added that Sinai still needs more development projects in various fields. "Celebrating Sinai Day is a chance to remember our martyrs in 1967, our brave men in the War of Attrition and in 1973, and our leaders who chose peace which returned life to the land of Sinai," Ebeid said in Al-Akhbar.
