Panic has broken out in Ukraine as a result of the country's first Mexican flu victim.

Prime Minister Julia Timoshenko has banned all major public gatherings to prevent the virus from spreading. Schools will be closed for the next three weeks, as will be cinemas, and concerts have been banned. The restrictive measures came only hours after the announcement that Mexican flu had claimed its first Ukrainian victim.

A mysterious outbreak of viral pneumonia in the west of the country had already caused widespread unrest. In the past month, more than 30 people died of the disease. It is not clear exactly which virus is involved, but it is reportedly definitely not the Mexican flu.

Photo: Facemasks against the Mexican flu (ANP)