- ActivitesParliament News
- April 27, 2009
- 5 minutes read
MP: 400,000 Pigs In Cairo Threaten Spread of Human Epidemic
MB Parliamentary Bloc Media Secretary Dr. Hamdy Hasan warned against the spread of a human epidemic as a result of the presence of more than 400,000 pigs at the heart of Cairo.
In his statement to the night show Al-‘Ashera Masa’an broadcasted on Dream channel Sunday, Hasan said that there was fear over this virus evolving, via pigs, into a human epidemic that, until today, has no treatment because the only way it could be cured is after the virus appears so that samples could be taken to make the appropriate vaccines.
“America and Mexico have started taking precautionary measures by distributing free masks on the streets. Moreover, ball games and overcrowdedness have been prevented after 100 death incidents took place and more than a thousand were afflicted with the disease throughout three weeks,” Hasan said.
Hasan further pointed out that the danger lies in that there are 400,000 pigs in Greater Cairo along with the presence of garbage collectors who are in constant contact with both pigs and homes, hence representing a terrifying factor in the distribution of the disease across all of Cairo as well as other Egyptian counties.
President of the Egyptian Society for Animal Sciences Dr. Samy El-Busaty said that “the pig flu virus is more dangerous than the cSARS which appeared previously in China since in the case of the pig flu the disease will be spreading across the world possibly killing around a billion worldwide; so the matter shouldn’t be taken lightly.”
Dr. Hamdy Hasan added that requests had been presented to the parliament committee concerned and the matter will be discussed at a high level Tuesday.
“The issue must be taken with full seriousness as it is a first- degree national security issue and can’t be delayed as was the case the past three years. There are two sides to the danger of this issue: an inner danger posed by the evolution of the virus via existing pigs along with the mixing of individuals in highly populated areas, that is Greater Cairo; and the danger of the upcoming disease. Both require decisiveness and promptness without delay. Another matter is health awareness,” Hasan added.