Swine flu scare at university dorm in Cairo

The AUC is considered one of Egypt's top academic institutions

Egyptian police have imposed quarantine restrictions on a dormitory of the prestigious American University in Cairo after an outbreak of swine flu.

Two students arriving from the US have been diagnosed with the virus that has killed 130 people, mostly in Mexico, and has affected thousands worldwide.

Egypt was the first African country to record a case swine flu.

There are fears the airborne virus could spread quickly in its densely populated urban areas.

Police, some wearing face masks stood at barriers outside the elegant seven-floor AUC dormitory in Zamalek.

Pizzas were delivered to the building during the day but none of the residents were allowed in or out.

The swine flu outbreak led the university to suspend classes until 14 June in line with health ministry advice, reports say.

Egypt's Mena news agency said the students are Americans who came to Cairo to take summer classes.

The Egyptian authorities ordered the cull of the country's 300,000 pigs to combat an outbreak, although animal welfare groups said the slaughter would have little impact.

Egypt is already battling the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu, which has killed an estimated 27 people there since 2006.

People travelling to Egypt are subjected to tests at its airports, with some suspected cases being kept in quarantine.