COLOMBO, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Health officials on Monday said 18 suspected H1N1 patients were reported from Hambantota in southern Sri Lanka and they were being treated in state hospitals.

The Government Information Department said among the 18, 12 patients were reported from the Hambantota base hospital, five from the Tangalle hospital and one from the Tissamaharama hospital.

The patients had been admitted with flu-like symptoms.

Health Services District Director Dr. A.P.R.S. Chandrasena advised patients who suffered from a fever to seek immediate treatment from a government hospital.

He added there were no fears of the virus spreading among other patients in the Hambantota, Tangalle and Tissamaharama Hospitals as all precautionary measures had been taken.

H1N1 is a new influenza virus which started spreading in Mexico in April 2009. The symptoms of H1N1 include fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, headache, chills, fatigue and sometimes diarrhoea and vomiting.