Egypt - Ministry of Agriculture Declares State of Extreme Emergency Fearing Swine Flu Advance

Egypt, UAE take extra measures to prevent swine flu outbreak
Posted: 26-04-2009 , 11:08 GMT

[link to www.albawaba.com]

A new strain of swine flu has launched a deadly attack on humans, as more than 80 were killed in Mexico, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Sunday. The news alerted authorities in the Middle East. In the UAE, health authorities were awaiting advice from the WHO, an official said.



The country would take extra precautions, as advised by the global health body, UAE's Health Ministry director-general Ali Shakar was quoted as saying by the Khaleej Times daily on Sunday. "We haven't received anything official via WHO," he noted.

Meanwhile, in Egypt, the veterinary services of the Ministry of Agriculture declared a state of extreme emergency, fearing that pig farms in the governorates of Qalyubia, Cairo, Giza and Assiut might be exposed to swine flu, al Masri al Youm newspaper reported on Sunday.