The Egyptian government decided on Wednesday to kill all pigs immediately in the country to prevent the outbreak of the fatal swine flu that has stalked Mexico and the United States, local Nile TV reported.

"Is has been decided to slaughter all pigs in the country immediately," the report quoted Health Minister Hatem al-Gabali assaying in a cabinet meeting Wednesday afternoon.

The pigs will be slaughtered after check-up, and the pork can be still sold or exported if it gets the go-ahead from the veterinary authority.

It is estimated that Egypt, 90 percent of whose population are Muslim, has some 350,000 pigs. They were raised by the Christian minority who eat pork in Cairo, Giza, Qalubia and October 6 governorates.

Meanwhile, the government also decided to establish an ad hoc committee to follow up the disease.

The committee will supervise the production of face masks and carry out training in stockbreeding, tourism and transportation sector to intercept the virus.

Earlier, the government has made a plan to relocate all the pig farms to May 15 City on the southern desert of Cairo, but the plan was criticized by lawmakers in the parliament, who on Tuesday urged the authority to cull all the pigs immediately.

In Mexico, more than 150 people are thought to have died from the new virus and thousands sickened. Around 100 cases have been confirmed worldwide and the number is inching higher.

Israel, the sole Mideast country hit by the virus, has confirmed two cases and reported two suspected cases.

(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2009)