Australia's AH1N1 flu alert level has been raised from delay to contain, Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon announced on Friday.

Roxon said the main concerning was the two cases of the virus being contracted in people who had not travelled recently or been in contact with someone carrying the virus.

The upgrade in alert means further measures are likely to be put in place across the country to try to contain the spread of the AH1N1 virus.

The contained phase is not the top phase and there are three more levels after that.

Roxon said raising the alert level enabled the government to ensure it acted appropriately as the disease spreads in Australia.

The decision comes as the first case of human to human transmission was confirmed at Clifton Hill Primary School in Victoria.

"We will continue border protection to stop people coming into Australia with swine flu," Roxon said.

"It provides us with flexibility for social distancing measures such as school closures, which we have already seen in South Australia and Victoria."

There are 11 confirmed cases of the disease across the country, with 20 test results pending.

A poll comes as Australian heath officials are meeting Friday to consider the next phase of its response showed that more than a quarter of Australians feel either extremely concerned or very concerned about a major AH1N1 flu outbreak.

(Xinhua News Agency May 22, 2009)