Nepali Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture are on high alert as the swine flu that has killed more than 80 people in Mexico appeared to have spread to New Zealand and even Israel, raising fears about a potential pandemic in Nepal, local media reported on Monday.

According to myrepublica.com, coming hard on the heels of the World Health Organization's declaration on Saturday that the deadly swine flu outbreak was a public health emergency of "pandemic potential," the two ministries have called a meeting of the Technical Subcommittee on Avian Influenza at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives Monday.

"We are alert now and convening a meeting of the technical subcommittee on Monday, where we will discuss the safety measures that can be taken," Director of the Epidemology and Disease Control Division at the Health Ministry Shailendra Uprety said.

They will discuss quarantine measures to be taken at the international airport and the surveillance of swine throughout the country, reported the website.