30 April, 2009

Banning Pork to Prevent Swine Flu?

This is surprising.

Gulfnews
"UAE bans import and sale of pork as a precaution against swine flu"

It's surprising because you don't catch swine flu from eating pork. Nor is the virus transmitted on pork.

It's disconcerting to hear that the medical and municipal authorities don't understand the basic scientific facts related to this issue.

19 comments:

BuJ said...

typical knee jerk reaction ... don't worry.. i'm sure you can still find sausages in spinneys.

Vincent Fong said...

till then no bacon for a while, people!

I'm going back home to taste some of my favourite wan ton noodle, hope they don't do a similar ban...

Anonymous said...

It's disconcerting to hear that the medical and municipal authorities don't understand the basic scientific facts related to this issue.

Actually, this was done to lull the calls by the public here. The authorities know exactly how its transmitted. The general populace say SWINE and were pointing fingers at every place that had pork.

Same as many places, an Australia client of mine has the same notion. And I didnt correct her. So its a very wide spread misconception.

You my dear original poster, are a dumbass.

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm . . . how many countries do Emirates & Etihad fly to again?

DxbianGirl said...

Dear Brian64,

why do you feel the need to insult the medical and municipal authorities here in the UAE?
just because they decided to ban pork for now? with the swine flu and all. I do understand that that it has nothing to do with consuming pork but this is done because people are calling for it.

And this is just a strategy, if this means this would calm people down one way or another why not? At least the UAE gives the 'pork' eater this privilege of having pork all those years in a Muslim country now that it is banned we see the backlash?

it is more complicated than you think, don't judge ' UAE's authorities' reaction from your typical western mind.

Anonymous said...

western mind

Oxymoron.

Google said...

Yes, Rosh, of course we should believe everything we can find with Google :-)

rosh said...

If you say so, Google :)

I'm sorry, however I've never understood how people can consume pork/bacon etc. It's such a delicacy in the Americas. In Mexico and South America, they have something called 'Pork Rinds' - fried Pork Skin. Man! Huge culture shock!

Anonymous said...

It is to calm the public.

Anonymous said...

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/27/trade-official-concerned-countries-banning-pork/

http://www.prisonplanet.com/china-bans-pork-imports-from-mexico-parts-of-us.html

http://business.maktoob.com/20090000001949/Lebanon_bans_pork_imports/Article.htm

So I guess over a billion people live in countries whose "medical and municipal authorities don't understand the basic scientific facts related to this issue"

God you are such a moron. Guns should be legalized here, if only to help facilitate the suicide of the stupid.

tenali raman said...

"Mexico and South America, they have something called 'Pork Rinds' - fried Pork Skin."

I've had that stuff right here in UAE. Didn't know what it was of course. Looked like large triangular pappadums. Later my Filipino hosts explained it to me. Didn't taste all that bad. Bacon, Ham and Vindaloo, not to mention Sorpatel...if you haven't tasted it, you haven't...

Brian64 said...

'So I guess over a billion people live in countries whose "medical and municipal authorities don't understand the basic scientific facts related to this issue"'...

yes, it's quite possible.

Dear DxbianGirl and others,
Just because I question the tactics of the authorities shouldn't be perceived as an insult. And why would you (and others here) assume that my question about the ban is so that I could have access to pork here? I don't have pork in my house. And why would you (and others) make derogatory statements about me just because I'm from the West? Prejudice?

I question the authorities because I, like them I hope, want to see the UAE and it's people progress in the world. Wouldn't it be better to tell the people the truth about how the virus is spread and assure them of the scientifically legitimate ways they country is being protected?

Finally, I'm not going to address the mistaken ideas about pig anatomy or those eat it's meat. The posted ideas speak for themselves.

Kyle said...

Brian, I wouldn't care about all the (low-rent) comments posted here. Call it ignorance, contempt and/or anything else you can think of. That apart, people still fail to grasp that this ailment has got nothing to do with consumption but more so to exposure.

Anonymous said...

Mexico has accused the World Health Organisation of ignoring its early warnings about swine flu, as the country went into virtual meltdown.

Mexico's chief epidemiologist claimed they first raised the alert on April 16, but no action was taken until eight days later.

Meanwhile, Germany confirmed its first case of human-to-human transmission of the virus, while Egypt and the United Arab Emirates were accused of pointlessly scapegoating pigs.

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/world/article.html?Mexican_fury_at_swine_flu_delays&in_article_id=644560&in_page_id=64

Infected .. don't get close ! said...

That apart, people still fail to grasp that this ailment has got nothing to do with consumption but more so to exposure.
.........

wa minkom nastafeed ;)

* said...

So no Nancy Ajram concerts for a while I reckon.

nzm said...

OMG Kaya - trust you to make that connection! LOL!

bwana_daoudi said...

group hug!

Anonymous said...

28 days later....

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