Epidemiologists have announced that a countrywide H1N1 epidemic could be declared next week which would make the flu epidemic a top national priority, but would not bring anything new in the area of health activities.

Epidemic monitoring group member Branislav Tiodorovic told BETA that the possible declaration of an epidemic in Serbia "is nothing special in the sense of health activities."

"Based on epidemics declared in Uzice, Pozega, Kraljevo, Cacak, the municipality of southern Backa and schools in Nis, we can say that we have all the elements that we need to declare an epidemic," Tiodorovic said.

Tiodorovic also said that the number of infected in the country was probably ten times higher than the number of confirmed cases, although the majority of cases were minor forms of the virus.

"The total number of laboratory confirmed cases is 249. However, the number of clinically confirmed flu cases is much higher, as this figure should be multiplied by ten. We can say that several thousand people have the flu," Tiodorovic told BETA.

He said that this no reason for panic and that the figures only "show the prevalence of minor forms of the sickness."

On Nov. 7, Minister of Health Tomica Milosavljevic said that Serbia would defeat the virus, and stressed that there was no reason for panic.

Two patients - a man from Pozega diagnosed earlier with the new virus, and a woman only suspected of having the virus, died at the Uzice general hospital early on Nov. 8.

Representative of the local World Health Organization's office said that Serbia had a capable and powerful system for monitoring the virus and respiratory infections.

"In accordance with WTO recommendations, flu monitoring has been extended and stepped up, and (we have) the criteria for diagnosis, protocols, supplies of antiviral drugs, and protective gear for health workers left over from preparations for bird flu," WTO office representative in Serbia Dorit Nitzan and Melita Vujnovic told the Saturday edition of the Danas newspaper.