Afghanistan's only known pig has been locked in a room, away from visitors to Kabul zoo where it normally grazes¹ beside deer and goats, because people are worried it could infect them with the virus popularly known as “ swine flu” .

The pig is a curiosity in Muslim Afghanistan, where pork and pig products are illegal because they are considered irreligious, and has been in quarantine since Sunday after visitors expressed alarm it could spread the new flu strain.

"For now the pig is under quarantine, we built it a room because of swine influenza," Aziz Gul Saqib, director of Kabul Zoo, said. "We've done this because people are worried about getting the flu."

Worldwide, more than 1,000 people have been infected with the H1N1 flu virus, according to the World Health Organization, which also says 26 people have so far died from the strain. All but one of the deaths were in Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak.

There are no pig farms in Afghanistan and no direct civilian² flights between Kabul and Mexico.

"We understand that, but most people don't have enough knowledge. When they see the pig in the cage they get worried and think that they could get ill," Saqib said.

The pig was a gift to the zoo from China.

日前，阿富汗唯一的一只猪被关了“禁闭”，它原本生活在喀布尔动物园，常和鹿和山羊一起吃食，而今它却被动物园隔离了，这主要是因为人们担心它会传播所谓的“猪流感”病毒。

这只猪在以伊斯兰教为主的阿富汗是个稀罕物，因为猪是他们的宗教忌讳，所以猪肉和猪制品都是违法的。这只猪自上周日起被隔离，因为此前有游客表示担心它会传播流感病毒。

喀布尔动物园园长Aziz Gul Saqib说：“现在这只猪已被隔离，由于担心流感传播，我们专门给它建了一间屋子。我们这样做是因为人们担心会被它传染。”

世界卫生组织称，目前全球已有一千多人感染了甲型H1N1流感病毒，并称已有26人因此丧生。除一人外，其他死亡患者都在疾病爆发的中心地墨西哥。

阿富汗没有养猪场，喀布尔和墨西哥之间也没有直飞航班。

Saqib说：“我们了解情况，但多数人对此没有足够的认识。当他们看到笼子里的猪时，他们就会担心，觉得自己会生病。”

这只猪是中国送给喀布尔动物园的礼物。

Vocabulary:

graze:to feed on growing grasses and herbage.（啃食牧草）