Agartala/Shillong/Aizawl, Aug 20 - With swine flu creating panic among the people, the authorities in Tripura, Meghalaya and Mizoram have taken up a major publicity campaign to dispel fear on the fast spreading influenza A (H1N1) virus in India. So far, 10 people have tested positive for the virus in the northeast.

Public awareness campaigns have been started across the three northeastern states while the authorities have taken a string of measures to treat the swine flu victims, if any.

The government's campaign started after panic-stricken people thronged drug stores to buy surgical masks and Tamiflu drugs since earlier this week.

'A lot of panic has been created in the last several days after two people tested positive for swine flu in Mizoram. There is no cause for people to go into panic mode,' said Mizoram chief secretary Vanhela Pachuau.

'Following media reports, the people's panic has been caused by ignorance and it is unnecessary. There is no need for them to wear face masks,' he said at a press conference Wednesday.

According to the chief secretary, the relatives of the two victims had already faced social stigma while patients at the Falkawn Referral Hospital and locals objected to the two swine flu infected people being treated at the hospital.

Ten people, including an army soldier and a paramilitary trooper, have tested positive for swine flu in Meghalaya (5), Mizoram (2), Assam (2) and Manipur (1).

'All the swine flu patients have already been admitted at the isolation wards of the hospitals in Shillong, Aizawl, Guwahati, Silchar and Imphal. Their condition is not that critical and there is no reason to be panicky,' said a doctor.

The Tripura government held a review meeting with doctors, experts and top civil administration officials.

'On the advice of the union health ministry, all the states in the northeast have been put on swine flu alert to prevent outbreak of the disease and a number of observation centres set up at the border check posts and airports,' said Y.