United Kingdom-Global update on swine flu.

GLOBAL-SWINE FLU UPDATES.

Swine Flu Won’t Affect China ’s Launch Of Hog Futures-Official

BEIJING (Dow Jones)--The outbreak of AH1N1 influenza, or swine flu, won’t affect the launch of hog futures in China , an official at the Dalian Commodity Exchange said Tuesday.

Egypt’s Christian Farmers Protest Cull

Egypt pressed ahead Monday with plans to kill all pigs in the country, amid rising concerns there that the animal considered unclean by Islam may cause a swine-flu epidemic. Officials in the majority Muslim nation say they are targeting the estimated 250,000 pigs raised by Egypt ’s minority Christian community as a public-health measure, despite international scientific opinion that the animals don’t spread the disease to humans. But what was intended to be a vigorous response to the global flu scare has instead highlighted gaps in Egypt ’s public-health policy and acted as a lightning rod for religious tension.

EU Complains To Russia Over Pork Product Import Ban

BRUSSELS (Dow Jones)--The European Commission has sent a letter to the Russian government complaining about a ban on pork products from Spain, a commission spokeswoman said Tuesday. Russia imposed the ban to prevent the spread of the A(H1N1) swine flu virus, but scientists say the virus isn’t transmitted through pig meat.

UPDATE: China Defends Ban On Pork Imports From Alberta

BEIJING (Dow Jones)--China Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said Tuesday that China’s ban on hog and pork product imports from the Canadian province of Alberta is reasonable and appropriate.

GENEVA (AFP)--Global surveillance of animal disease could be revised to include swine influenza in pigs because of the danger the disease presents to humans, a World Health Organization expert said Monday. Unlike avian influenza, swine flu is not among animal diseases that have to be reported to international authorities, because it is a common illness in pigs and has traditionally been treated as a farming issue.