The Chinese government on Wednesday called for education campaigns in schools nationwide to teach all students about the swine flu and its prevention.

The campaigns should be launched as soon as possible, in all schools, to raise awareness of prevention and avoid causing unnecessary panic among teachers and students, according to a circular jointly issued by the ministries of education and health.

Schools should emphasize teaching students to develop good hygiene habits, such as avoiding contact with people with flu symptoms and crowded places, frequently washing hands with soap and fresh water, and covering the mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.

"Students in rural areas should avoid contact with pigs or pig farms," it said.

The circular asked educational administrative departments and all schools to increase efforts to keep campuses clean and well ventilated and temperatures comfortable.

"Schools, those in rural areas in particular, must strengthen management if any pigs are raised within campuses," it said.

The circular stressed that all school canteens should make sure pork is cooked thoroughly.

Hygiene administrative departments and disease control and prevention centers should promptly report suspected cases of the disease, it said.

China has no reported swine flu cases, but the possibility could not be ruled out as the swine flu was transnational and already spreading in some countries, according to the circular.

(Xinhua News Agency April 30, 2009)