YEREVAN, January 8. /ARKA/. An Armenian health ministry official has denied today media reports claiming that about 10 people in the country had “swine flu”.

Fears in Armenia have been prompted by reports from the neighboring Georgia where, according to official information, 10 people have passed away from swine flue this winter. On January 8, five hospitals in Tbilisi have switched to round-the-clock working regime.

Liana Torosyan, the head of a department at the Armenian health ministry overseeing infectious diseases, said patients in Armenia have the usual seasonal H1N1 flu.

According to the ministry, as of January 8, some 642 citizens asked for medical help of whom 597 were diagnosed with acute respiratory illness. -0-