The Qatari Foreign Ministry has urged nationals not to travel to Sri Lanka due to health concern, the Peninsula reported.

They have put out a travel warning on their official Twitter page urging people not to visit the country as H1N1 is reportedly spreading throughout the Central province, which includes Kandy, a favourite tourist spot, it said. 

It said the Central Provincial Health Service Director had said that H1N1 virus is spreading fast in the province and that 17 persons including 2 pregnant women have died during the last 3 months in the province.

A leading university - Peradeniya University, has shut down indefinitely due to the spread of the viral flu, it further reported.

The Qatar Foreign Ministry tweeted that Sri Lankan official authorities have confirmed the spread of swine flu (H1N1) in Sri Lanka.

It said many people are infected with the disease and also many deaths are reported due to the flu and for that reason it urged nationals not to travel to Sri Lanka except in cases of extreme necessity until health conditions improve.