DOHA- Gulf health ministers on Saturday downplayed the threat of swine flu on the region but urged citizens to use caution when travelling to virus-hit countries.
Ministers meeting in the Qatari capital Doha stopped short of issuing a travel warning for Mexico, where the H1N1 flu first emerged, but agreed to tighten controls at airports and ensure the availability of vaccines.
No suspected cases of the virus have been reported in the six Gulf Cooperation Council states.
"We should not exaggerate the matter more than it merits," GCC secretary general Abdulrahman al-Attiyah said.
"We have agreed to... urge caution with regards to travellers to the areas where the disease has spread," he said, adding that travellers passing through airports in the Gulf will be checked.
Health ministers agreed that any suspected cases should be reported to the joint Gulf health authorities as soon as they emerge, a statement said.
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