Israeli Health Ministry confirmed Tuesday the first case of swine flu and raised the preparedness level to 4 out of 6.

Tomer Vajim, 26, who had returned from Mexico with flu-like symptoms, was diagnosed positive for the virus, Israel Radio reported.

Vajim was in stable condition after two days of quarantine in Laniado Hospital in Netanya. A decision would soon be made on whether to keep him quarantined at the hospital, said the Radio.

Laniado medical director Avinoam Skolnik told local daily Ha' aretz that Israeli Health Ministry laboratory tests confirmed swine flu, but could not say whether the strain is the same one that appeared in Mexico.

Another Israeli man has also been quarantined until further notice in hospitals in a Kfar Sava, after his travel from Mexico with flu-like symptoms.

Earlier Tuesday, Israel Health Ministry decided to raise the preparedness level for swine flu from Phase 3 to Phase 4.

Meanwhile, signs were posted at Israeli Ben-Gurion International Airport, warning travelers arriving from Mexico to be on the alert for flu-like symptoms within a week of their return and to get medical help in that case.

In a bid to prevent the virus from spreading, Israeli Health Ministry reported Saturday evening that all hospital managers, as well as district doctors, had been briefed on the signs of the new swine flu virus and on preparedness procedures.

On Monday, the World Health Organization raised its global alert level from Phase 3 to Phase 4, signaling the swine flu virus was spreading from human to human in community outbreaks, but it stopped short of declaring a full-blown pandemic.

According to the World Health Organization's program for dealing with possible influenza pandemics in such cases, Phase 3 deals with preparedness for only sporadic infection of humans by animals, whereas Phase 4 deals with readiness for virus spread caused by sustained human to human transmission.

(Xinhua News Agency April 28, 2009)