An epidemic of the A/H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, has started in Ukraine, Health Minister Vasyl Kniazevych announced at a press conference on Friday.
"Unfortunately, we have to state that an A/H1N1 flu epidemic has in fact started in Ukraine," he said.
The Health Ministry is planning to impose quarantine throughout Ukraine, he said responding a question from Interfax-Ukraine.
"We are considering the possibility of introducing quarantine not only in the western regions but throughout the country because the virus is spreading extremely fast," he said.
Kniazevych said that the Health Ministry would introduce quarantine in kindergartens, schools and in crowded places.
The minister said that it is impossible to find out whether all of 30 people who died of respiratory infections lately actually had the A/H1N1 virus.
"We can only say that 30 people have died during the epidemic," he said.
He also said that 21 specimens had been sent for laboratory tests to the Central Institute of Contagious Diseases in Kyiv, which has confirmed seven cases of the A/H1N1 virus. Out of 12 specimens sent to the Central Sanitary and Epidemiological Station, four proved positive for the A/H1N1 virus.
A total of 951 people have been hospitalized so far, Kniazevych said.
He said that it is virtually impossible to control the spread of the flu because it is an airborne infection.
He said Ukraine will address the World Health Organization and other international organizations for assistance in combating the epidemic of swine flu in its territory.
As reported, thirty-four people, including one child, have died of acute respiratory infections in Ukraine over the last 11 days since October 19, according to the health ministry.
Twelve people died in Lviv region, including a child, twelve in Ternopil region, and six in Ivano-Frankivsk region.
In addition, deaths have been registered in Chernivtsi, Rivne and Zakarpattia regions.
