Europe's first case of swine flu has been confirmed in Spain, where a 23-year-old man was diagnosed with the disease, Health Minister Trinidad Jimenez announced Monday, dpa reported.
The patient, who became ill after returning from a study trip to Mexico on April 22, was being kept in isolation at a hospital in Almansa in the south-east of the country. He was in good condition, and receiving anti-viral medication, according to radio reports.
Spain also has at least 17 other suspected cases of swine flu around the country.
The patients were described as young people who had returned recently from Mexico. The authorities were identifying passengers who had been on the same flights.
Jimenez said she would meet with health experts from Spain's 17 autonomous regions to discuss measures against the disease later Monday.
Jimenez advised Spaniards not to travel to Mexico if they could avoid it, and to monitor their health for 10 days if they had just returned from the Latin American country. The Foreign Ministry issued a similar advisory.
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero was to meet Jimenez to analyse the situation.
The number of dead in Mexico's potentially deadly flu outbreak rose to 103, with at least 20 cases confirmed as swine flu, according to authorities.
Europe's first case of swine flu confirmed in Spain
