Mexican flu suspects in Bangalore

India has been free of swine flu so far -- at least that's what Health Ministry officials say.

But in Bangalore on Thursday two people, who'd just arrived from the US, were put under observation in a local hospital and their blood samples sent for testing.

The two passengers, who travelled from Chicago to Bangalore, are now under observation in hospital for suspected Swine flu. The two men are said to be from Hyderabad and Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh.

Bangalore's International Airport, like others around the country, has been screening arriving passengers for any symptoms of the flu.

Says Sreenivasachary, Karnataka's Commissioner for Health & Family Welfare: "They were isolated, the swab samples were collected, and despatched for tests. We are awaiting the results."

The blood samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology at Pune. So far there have been no confirmed cases of H1N1 virus in India and authorities insist there is no cause yet for alarm.

Unless the results of the tests come in from Pune, it is premature to say if the two cases of suspected Swine flu are indeed cause for concern.