'No sign of swine flu in Sri Lanka'
There is no indication of the presence of the swine flu in Sri Lanka
and consumption of pork is safe, said Chairman of the All-Island Poultry
Association and Patron of the Swine Association, Dr. D.D. Wanasinghe.
He said the swine flu is a viral disease that affects the respiratory
system of the swine and causes of the disease have not been diagnosed.
The outbreak of the disease was first identified in Mexico where the
death toll had risen to over 150 in the past month.
The United States declared a health emergency amid signs the disease
was spreading.
"The import of pork products must be banned till the causes for the
disease have been properly identified", Dr. Wanasinghe said.
The WHO said last week that the new strain, was born when human and
Avian flu viruses infected pigs and became mixed could mutate further.
Governments have recommended its citizens to avoid non-essential
travel to areas affected by the swine flu outbreak. Global stock markets
dipped early in the week due to the drop in the travel industry on fears
that the deadly flu may claim lives across continents. (LF) |