Belatedly, Egypt Spots Flaws in Wiping Out Pigs

[snopes]

When the government killed all the pigs in Egypt this spring — in what public health experts said was a misguided attempt to combat swine flu — it was warned the city would be overwhelmed with trash.

The pigs used to eat tons of organic waste. Now the pigs are gone and the rotting food piles up on the streets of middle-class neighborhoods like Heliopolis and in the poor streets of communities like Imbaba.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/wo...a/20cairo.html

[purpleiguana]

Belatedly? Looks like they were warned about the potential problem before they killed all the pigs and just didn't see fit to take steps to make it not a problem. Seems like laziness to me.

[UEL]

Originally Posted by purpleiguana

Belatedly? Looks like they were warned about the potential problem before they killed all the pigs and just didn't see fit to take steps to make it not a problem.

Well, it would be more accurate if the title used the word "realises" in lieu of "spots".

After all, how much credence were they giving the people providing the warnings? Is it a case where they wished it away or was the warning so poorly presented that it carried little weight? I would not assign it to laziness right away.

However, the idea of killing pigs to prevent swine flu boggles my mind.

[purpleiguana]

Originally Posted by UEL

Well, it would be more accurate if the title used the word "realises" in lieu of "spots".

Yes, that would have been an improvement.

However, the idea of killing pigs to prevent swine flu boggles my mind.

Mine as well.