Egypt Begins Slaughtering Pigs Allegedly to Avoid Swine Flu

The Egyptian government has begun slaughtering all of the pigs in the country. From the NY Times:

Egypt has begun forcibly slaughtering the country’s pig herds as a precaution against swine flu, a move that the United Nations described as “a real mistake” and one that is prompting anger among the country’s pig farmers.

There are a estimated 300,000 that will be killed.

Update - Here is a fascinating blog post about the social and economic aspects of those that raise pigs in Egypt. Pig farmers are primarily Coptic Christians, and use them to dispose of garbage. Mubarak would like to turn this activity over to western companies.