The Greek Health Ministry announced another four cases of swine flu. The four infected are tourists, who are on their vacation in Greece. Now, the total number of infected cases with the virus in Greece is 12. Yesterday, the World Health Organization announced the first influenza pandemic for the 21^st century and warned about a sudden increase of infected cases with the virus H1N1.

The four new swine flu infected cases are tourists from the US and Canada.  All four of them are from the US – one 33 year old Italian woman from Kansas, one 16 year old American girl, who also arrived from Kansas, one 46 year old American, again from Kansas and one 15 year old girl from Washington. Earlier on Thursday the Greek Health Ministry announced the eight swine flu case – 37 year old woman from Canada.

Doctors comment that due to the tourist season, when Greece is visited by millions of tourists from all over the world, the number of infected people will increase very fast. According to experts, it is alarming that the virus is infecting predominantly young people and during a season, which does not usually have flu cases.

The Greek Health Ministry together with the National Epidemiological Center started introducing the measures planned by WHO regarding phase sixth of pandemic alert. The Health Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos reassured all Greek citizens that the country is ready to face the sixth phase of the influenza pandemic and all measures are being taken based on previously prepared plan. According to him, the illness is in its mild form and it is during summer, which helps control the infection.