Israel accused of infecting poultry - United Press International

CAIRO, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Chemicals smuggled from Israel are infecting Egypt's poultry with viruses, an Egyptian official says.

Osama Selim, head of the Egyptian government's veterinary authority, claims public health is being harmed by animal vaccinations and blood serum illegally imported from Israel, Ynetnews.com reported Monday. He suggested it could be an example of biological warfare.

Dr. Suhair Hassan, a veterinary medicine official, told the government's Health Committee a study of 200 farms indicated 75 percent of Egyptian poultry were treated with Israeli products, leading to viral diseases and lowered egg production.

The comments follow claims on an Egyptian television show called "The Truth" that Israeli products like yogurt, coffee and chocolate, routinely smuggled into Egypt, cause infertility and cancer. Among those interviewed on the program was Muhammad a-Mani'i, a Bedouin tribesman, who said imported Israeli jeans have magnetic belts that cause infertility in their wearers, part of a plot to reduced population growth in Arab countries.