Health bosses will find out today whether seven people in Wiltshire have contracted swine flu.

The people reported flu like symptoms after returning from Mexico and had mouth swabs taken.

Maggie Rae, joint director of public health for Wiltshire, said at NHS Wiltshire's swine flu control centre in Devizes last night: “The situation in Wiltshire remains that there are still no confirmed cases of swine flu in the county.

“Like elsewhere in the UK there are a small number of Wiltshire residents who have recently returned from Mexico and who have contacted their GP or NHS Direct with concerns about possible flu like symptoms. This is to be expected.

“We advise everyone to follow good hygiene practices, including hand washing and the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ principles for coughs and sneezes.

“Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue whenever possible. Dispose of dirty tissues promptly and carefully - bag and bin them.

“Maintain good hygiene - washing hands frequently with soap and water. Clean hard surfaces (eg kitchen worktops and door handles) frequently using a normal cleaning product.

“Stay at home when you are sick. If you have a cough and a fever it is best to stay at home, take medicines to relieve the symptoms and drink plenty of fluids. This will speed your recovery and help prevent the spread of infection.”

Leaflets about the deadly swine flu virus are to be distributed to all households across the UK as fears grow about the scale of the outbreak.

The Department of Health last night confirmed it would be issuing the leaflets next week containing information about the virus and "preventative messages".

The DH also said it was in talks to "urgently increase current stockpiles" of surgical face masks.

The extra masks would be used by health professionals such as nurses and doctors working with infected patients in the event of a pandemic.

The information leaflets on the virus will be delivered across the UK in the coming days.

A DH spokeswoman said: "The leaflet will be sent out next week, cover the whole of the UK, and will contain information about this flu outbreak and preventative messages."

She added: "We are talking to a number of manufacturers about procuring face masks. We are not in a position to provide further details at this stage.

"Although we are aware that face masks are being given out to the public in Mexico, the available scientific evidence does not support the general wearing of face masks by those who are not ill whilst going about their normal activities.

"We are urgently looking into how we can increase our current stockpiles of face masks for healthcare workers who would come into close contact with symptomatic individuals during an influenza pandemic."