White house says no need to panic on swine flu

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government is following developments on the swine flu closely and there is no need for Americans to panic over the outbreak, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Sunday.

In an interview with NBC's Meet the Press, Gibbs said President Barack Obama was being briefed regularly by health and homeland security officials.

"It is important for the public to understand that we are taking proper precautions to address anything that happens, it's not a time to panic," he said. The White House plans a briefing later today on U.S. preparations should the flu outbreak spread beyond the 11 cases that have been confirmed in the United States. The swine flu has killed as many as 81 people in Mexico.

(Editing by Patricia Zengerle)