Bulgaria’s Health Ministry would be outlining preventative measures against influenza and respiratory diseases and was ready to take emergency measures if there was an outbreak of swine flu, local media reports quoted health authorities as saying.

National Veterinary Medical Services director Yordan Voinov said on April 25 2009 that there had been no reports of infected animals and the service was ready to take emergency steps if need be.

Dr Angel Kunchev, head of the Health Ministry’s infectious diseases control unit said that the ministry would be outlining preventative measures, Bulgarian news agency Focus said.

The World Health Organisation, after an emergency meeting on April 25, recommended that all countries step up their vigilance.

The BBC said on April 26 that Mexican authorities had taken drastic measures to contain the swine flu virus that has killed 81 and prompted fears of a global pandemic.

People are being urged to stay at home and maintain strict personal hygiene. Many schools, public buildings, bars and restaurants have been closed. CNN said that citizens were being asked to avoid large crowds, refrain from kissing as a greeting and maintain a distance of at least 1.8m from each other amid growing concern in the country and elsewhere over new cases of suspected and confirmed swine flu infection.

Several countries issued travel notices and tightened restrictions to brace against the virus the WHO is calling "a public health emergency of international concern."

In a media statement, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said  that in its most recent communication on April 25, the United States CDC in Atlanta, confirmed eight cases of an infection with a novel swine influenza A(H1N1) virus in two US states (California and Texas).

"These cases have presented with mild flu-like symptoms between end March and mid April and all have fully recovered. Parallel to this there is an ongoing outbreak in Mexico with a considerable number of cases and deaths and preliminary laboratory investigations have shown that viruses from patients with respiratory symptoms were similar to viruses in the US. So far it remains unclear why cases in Mexico appear to be more severe than those in the US. No cases were reported in Europe or in other regions," the ECDC said.

The ongoing situation is of great concern and requires particular attention, it said.

WHO is co-ordinating the worldwide response to the event and is monitoring the corresponding threat of an influenza pandemic.

On April 25, the viral gene sequences of the current swine influenza A(H1N1) were published on the organisation’s website together with a guidance document to influenza laboratories.

ECDC said that it was exchanging information with its partners in the European Commission, EU member states as well as with the WHO and US CDC in Atlanta.

"The European Commission is working closely together with the member states addressing all risk management issues within the Early Warning and Response System (EWRS)."

The Health Security Committee is also meeting to discuss the situation; The Global Health Security Initiative is exchanging information on the current status of the situation and counter-measures, the ECDC said.