Morocco has decided to earmark 850 million Dirhams (US$102 million) to finance operation preventing the fatal A/N1H1 virus, and no case has been detected in the north African country, Communication Ministry said on Monday.

The money will be put to reinforce the technical means of prevention and to buy medicaments, masks and individual protection means, the ministry was quoted by local MAP news agency as saying.

"No case (A/H1N1 flu) was detected on the Moroccan territory up to Monday," it said in a statement issued after a meeting of the cabinet to examine the situation. It added that "vigilance at all frontier posts of the kingdom was reinforced to avert the introduction of the virus to our country."

The prevention and detection means put in place since 2005, and available in the stock part of preparations against the bird flu provides a "reasonable assurance," as to facing the current threat of A/H1N1 for the coming weeks, the statement ensured, noting that the organizational means set up to fend off bird flu across the north African country have been reactivated.

The Moroccan government has set up a trackability system of passengers coming from countries where cases of the epidemic were confirmed, which allows for a daily follow-up of the situation, it said, adding that fever detectors were installed in entry points, and laboratories and transportation means were mobilized across the country.

The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi, also decided to launch an information and awareness-raising campaign among the citizens.

The virus has so far killed over 20 people in Mexico and one person in the United States. The World Health Organization said about 850 cases of the flu were declared around the world.

(Xinhua News Agency May 5, 2009)