Prime Minister Donald Tusk has confirmed there was no threat of the swine flu epidemic in Poland, claiming that the situation in the country is continuously being monitored.

Following the meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown earlier today, Donald Tusk has added that the EU should work together and exchange information pertaining to confirmed cases of infection.

Health Minister Ewa Kopacz has said that anyone who falls ill is certain to receive proper medical treatment: "We will be treating any cases effectively with the same medication that is used in the United States. We have prepared enough beds – for 3,000 patients – in the infectious diseases wards across the country. In normal circumstances, including seasonal flu outbreaks, and other conditions linked with contagious diseases, we use only 50 percent of the beds available. There is no reason to alarm Poles. There will certainly be enough medicine for anyone in need.”

Symptoms of the swine flu include fatigue, loss of appetite, cough and high temperature. The virus may activate within ten days of contraction.

According to unofficial reports, around 150 people have died from the virus in Mexico. The majority of victims were aged from 20 to 25. Meanwhile, no fatal cases have been registered in the United States so far. Health Minister Ewa Kopacz has said the milder course of the disease in patients in the States was down to a relatively higher standard of living and better healthcare services provided in the country, adding that anyone can take simple precautions to minimize the risk of contraction.

Teresa Milewska, deputy of the Provincial Sanitary Inspector in Opole, southwestern Poland, said that though were is no need to panic, yet individuals returning from the areas where the swine flu was identified, and those who have contact with those individuals, should not ignore any symptoms typical for the regular flu, such as sore throat, fatigue, and high temperature.

The Foreign Ministry in Warsaw has issued a warning to all passengers travelling to or returning from Mexico, the United States and Canada to exercise caution, whereas the authorities of Warsaw’s Chopin International Airport have intensified monitoring passengers arriving on flights from North America.