Lima  - Peru suspended from Thursday all flights to and from Mexico over the ongoing flu epidemic, in a decision that Prime Minister Yehude Simon described as "painful but necessary." "We have the right to protect the country," Simon noted.

The suspension also applied to passengers travelling from Mexico to Peru via third countries.

Peruvian President Alan Garcia, in turn, called upon the Peruvian population to be cautious in their displays of affection while the epidemic lasts.

"If we all take suitable precautions, necessary measures, we can defeat the risk of contact and propagation," Garcia said Thursday.

He said changes were necessary in the habits of kissing, hugging and shaking hands with loved ones.

"We have to take a break in these significant shows of affection to avoid the danger of propagation," he stressed.

There were 10 suspected cases of swine fever in Peru, although none of them had been confirmed.