Italy intends to coordinate the actions of the Group of Eight aimed at combating the spread of Mexican swine flu in its role as the current G8 rotating president, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said on Monday.
Frattini said that Welfare Minister Maurizio Sacconi and undersecretary Ferruccio Fazio, who has the health portfolio at the ministry, will be in charge of coordinating the efforts.
This action, he added, will be extended to the five so-called merging economies: China, India, South Africa, Brazil and Mexico.
Over 100 people have died from the flu in Mexico and there are more than 1,600 suspected cases there.
''We are dealing with a global question and thus our actions cannot be limited to Europe,'' Frattini said.
At present there has only been one confirmed case in Europe, in Spain, while there are 20 cases in the United States.
Although referred to as swine flu, this virus mutation has elements of swine, bird and human flu.
Because it does not attack animals, the flu cannot be contracted from eating pork but only by exposure to those who have it.
Most cases in America are reported to be mild and not necessitating hospitalisation and people vaccinated for winter influenza appear to be more resistant to the virus.
