FACTBOX: How countries are defending against swine flu

(Reuters) - The World Health Organization says a new type of swine flu that has killed more than 80 people in Mexico and infected about a dozen people in the United States has the potential to become a pandemic.

The following is the situation in countries worldwide and some of the precautionary steps being taken.

MIDDLE EAST:

- Middle East countries should monitor closely travelers arriving from the United States and Mexico for signs of the virus but it was not necessary to impose quarantine on all incoming travelers from there, a WHO official said.

- Countries should take the same precautions as they had against the avian flu virus and check their stocks of Tamiflu, said Hussein Gezairy, regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean region at the WHO.

- United Arab Emirates has a stock of one million capsules of Tamiflu which is enough for about 40,000 people if there were an outbreak of swine flu, said Ali Al Marzouki, director of Public Health affairs at the Dubai Health Authority.

- UAE was also considering banning imports of all pork products from Mexico and the United States.

RUSSIA:

- Russia imposed curbs on meat imports from Mexico, a number of U.S. states and the Caribbean, the chief veterinarian, Nikolai Vlasov, told Reuters.

- Medical teams were posted at Russian international airports to monitor flu-like symptoms among passengers arriving in Russia from Mexico, the United States and Canada, said chief public health official Gennady Onishchenko.

SPAIN:

- Authorities isolated three people and placed them under round-the-clock observation in hospital after they arrived from Mexico suffering with symptoms of influenza.

- Health Minister Trinidad Jimenez said it would take about 48 hours to establish whether the three were suffering from the swine flu virus.

- Flights to Mexico were being equipped with supplies of face masks and gloves.

FRANCE:

- Public health officials have been placed on alert. Crisis unit set up at Health Ministry to monitor situation.

- Four people, including three from the same family, were being checked after arriving from Mexico with suspicious symptoms. The results of tests were expected within next 24 hours.

- Two previous cases have been ruled out after tests.

BRITAIN:

- Authorities were confident that people who had been traveling and had flu-like symptoms could be examined "very, very quickly," Health Secretary Alan Johnson said.

- Britain has antiviral stockpiles to provide treatment for 50% of the population should they become ill.

AUSTRIA:

- Health ministry said under a 2005 contingency plan Austria has stocks of antiviral drugs sufficient to treat 4 million people (half the population), and has secured production capacity for prophylactic vaccines for the entire population.

- It has also stockpiled 8 million protective masks.

CZECH REPUBLIC:

- The country has stocks of 2 million doses of Tamiflu, enough to treat a fifth of the population, chief public health official Michael Vit said.

ITALY:

- Producers of Italy's Parma ham reassured consumers that their produce was safe to eat.

DENMARK:

- Denmark was well prepared for a pandemic outbreak, Else Smith, Director of the National Center of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, said.

- A general pandemic plan was in place since bird flu scare.

- Authorities were monitoring events and stockpiled Tamiflu.

GREECE:

- Country has "strategic stocks" of Tamiflu and other antivirus medicine, said the head of National Health operation center, Panagiotis Efstathiou.

GERMANY:

- No travel warning issued about Mexico, the German Foreign Ministry said.

- A note about swine flu danger in Mexico had been posted on ministry's website.

CENTRAL AMERICA:

- Countries have ramped up border and airport checks.

- In Panama, airport officials are screening the 40-odd flights a day from Mexico. Health officials in El Salvador at the borders with Guatemala and Honduras are watching for flu cases. Nicaragua's health ministry declared a health alert.

ARGENTINA:

- The health ministry urged crew members and passengers on flights from Mexico to advise immediately if they have any flu-like symptoms. It is also asking people who have traveled to Mexico recently and feel sick to inform a doctor.

- The ministry ordered the Argentine health system to watch for an increase in respiratory illnesses and promote vaccinations and preventive hygiene habits among health workers and the general population.

BRAZIL:

- Brazil's government plans to monitor passengers arriving from Mexico and the United States. Crew members were asked to discuss flu-like symptoms with passengers during flights and travelers are required to advise local authorities immediately if any symptom is noted.

CHILE:

- Chile's government is scanning all passengers arriving by plane from Mexico and the United States for signs of fever. It is still checking one possible suspected case but has ruled out two others.

- The health ministry has also warned against travel to Mexico and the United States, and border officials are on alert to monitor passengers arriving by land for flu-like symptoms.

COLOMBIA:

- Authorities have increased monitoring and preventative controls at hospitals, ports and Bogota's main airport, especially for people arriving from Mexico City, Texas and California, the Social Protection Ministry said.

ECUADOR:

- The government says it will carry out medical checks on people with flu symptoms arriving via air and sea from countries hit by swine flu. Health officials have also put hospitals on alert to monitor for flu cases.

PERU:

- Peru's health ministry reinforced airport controls to detect if someone with flu symptoms was entering the country.

VENEZUELA:

- Venezuela said it will boost health controls at airports to prevent the contagion from spreading and recommended that Venezuelans avoid travel to the United States and Mexico due to the outbreak.