As part of urgent steps taken to curb the spread of swine flu in the country, UAE's health ministry has issued a circular to the hospitals and doctors asking them to be fully prepared to deal with any potential cases related to the disease.
"Currently there is no actual threat of swine flu to the UAE. We are monitoring the situation," Jamal Al Turki, Technical Director of Preventive Medicines at the ministry said.
Though the UAE does not have a risk of infection from live pigs, imported pork meat in the market will now be under scrutiny. Since pigs are not domesticated in the country, all pork products available in the market are imported. These will now be closely monitored, according to the ministry.
The outbreak of swine flu was first reported in Mexico and the United States and experts have warned about its pandemic potential as it has claimed over 81 lives and sickened over 1,000 others.
The situation had forced World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan to convene a meeting of the Emergency Committee to assess the situation and advise her on appropriate responses.
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