Taipei - Taiwan Monday issued a travel alert for Mexico, as the health minister stressed no human infections of the deadly swine flu have been reported on the island so far. "For their own safety, Taiwan's nationals are advised to suspend their planned trips to Mexico, 17 of whose states have already reported cases of infections," said Henry Chen, spokesman of the Foreign Ministry.

About 4,000 Taiwan people visit Mexico each year, mostly for business and sightseeing, according to the ministry.

Taiwan's health department Monday listed the swine flu in the top category of epidemic and jump-started its anti-pandemic mechanism to ensure health safety on the island.

Health Minister Yeh Chin-chuan said the authorities have already tightened immigration checks on North Americans and Taiwanese returning from North America to prevent a possible influx of the deadly virus.

"So far there have been no confirmed cases of human infections in Taiwan," Yeh said. (dpa)