Team commissioned at Goa airport to screen passengers

Goa health authorities on Wednesday deployed a team at the airport here to screen passengers arriving from the countries in the grip of swine flu.

The health department has also asked the state tourism department to help them track down the tourists from countries like the UK, the US, France, Canada, Mexico and New Zealand whose throat swab samples would be taken for examination.

"The team is already at the airport but we will start full-fledged operations by Thursday as we are awaiting the forms to be printed. These forms would be given to passengers who arrive from the countries feared to be in the grip of Swine flu," state epidemiologist Dr Rajendra Tamba said.

Goa is among the airports where Union Health Ministry has asked to adopt more specific measures as a large number of Britons visit this beach heaven during international tourists season.

The tourism department statistics show around 500 tourists from the UK have arrived in Goa after the swine flu cases surfaced.

"We appeal to hoteliers to inform us about such tourists as we need to screen them," Dr Tamba said.

The state government, which had activated its machinery on Tuesday morning, has said there is no need to panic.

Goa chief minister Digamber Kamat had on Tuesday evening held a high-level meeting and asked the authorities to initiate measures to prevent the outbreak of the disease and to contain it before it spreads.

The state government has also rejected rumours about cases of pigs deaths at Siolim village.

Reacting to the media report, the government spokesman said the animal husbandry department officials have visited the village and found the reports to be false.