The Bulgarian Ministry of Health Care will start Monday outlining preventive measures to enhance control of flue and respiratory diseases, local press reported Sunday, citing doctor Angel Kunchev, director of Infectious Diseases Control Unit at the Ministry of Health Care, Xinhua reported.
In his words, there is no direct risk of an outbreak of a human swine flu virus in the country amidst warnings that the infection could become a pandemic.
"Bulgaria faces the same risks as any other country, but for the time being there is no direct risk of infections," Kunchev said.
Kunchev pointed out that most probably a given number of samples will be collected and studied in the National Center for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases.
He assured that the local authorities are in constant contact with the World Health Organization, which follows closely the ever- changing situation, and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control in Stockholm, which has already launched its emergency center.
"So the information arriving from around the world is received in a real time," said the doctor, underlining that there are no cases of swipe flu registered in Bulgaria so far.
The Mexican authorities say 81 people are now thought to have been killed by an outbreak of a human swine flu virus. Confirmed or suspected cases have also been reported in the U.S. and elsewhere.
The World Health Organization has recommended that all countries should increase vigilance for possible cases of swine flu.
At least some confirmed cases show a new version of the H1N1 swine flu sub-strain -- a disease which infects pigs but only sporadically infects humans.