The Health Ministry of Sri Lanka has asked its citizens to avoid visits to India to safeguard themselves against the deadly H1N1 virus.

Dr. Paba Palihawadana, Chief Epidemiologist of the Epidemiology Unit of the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry, requested her fellow citizens to desist from visiting Mumbai and Pune in India.

Speaking with the media persons, Palihawadana said: "Persons who cannot avoid trips to India should take all precautionary actions to prevent from getting infected."

Notably, over 27 people have so far died due to swine flu in India.

"A large number of Sri Lankan pilgrims visit India everyday and it is the main risk that Sri Lanka is facing at the moment. They should try their best to avoid or at least postpone such trips for some time," she said.

Apart from this, the Sri Lankan authorities, as a precautionary measure, have also set up a special unit in the Katunayake International Airport to check the arriving passengers for the disease.

The Island nation had recorded over 70 cases of swine flu with the last one on August 12th. The first confirmed case was reported in the country on June 16th. There has been no report of any fatality in the country so far.

Moreover, the Ministry had also requested the public to contact the hotline 0112 681 548 for further information.