KABUL, AFGHANISTAN - The Afghan government has declared a state of emergency, closing schools, universities, wedding halls and even public bathrooms for three weeks to slow the spread of the H1N1 flu virus, which has killed 10 people in the capital in less than two weeks.
Cases are popping up in provinces spanning the country, with new outbreaks reported in two more provinces on Saturday.
"There is no doubt that we have an epidemic in our country now, and we are moving into the fall season when the conditions make it more likely to spread," said Ahmad Farid Raaid, spokesman for the Ministry of Public Health.
In the past few days, surgical face masks have bloomed like poppies on the faces of worried pedestrians along crowded streets and markets of the capital as more cases are reported.
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The effectiveness of such masks in preventing the spread of flu is uncertain, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but they are selling quickly in Kabul. Many vendors are boys who would be in school except for the emergency closing.
"I would prefer to be in class, but I can sell these for 10 afghanis [about 20 cents]," said Hafzuillah, 12.
In the past few days, the government has ramped up its response to the epidemic, Raaid said. Most of the 456 cases among Afghans -- and all the fatalities -- have occurred in Kabul. On Friday, his ministry distributed anti-viral medicine and 10 tons of related medical supplies to 34 hospitals and clinics in the capital.
There is no H1N1 vaccine on hand, but the government expects to receive 550,000 doses soon through the World Health Organization.