Gandhinagar, Aug 19 - The Gujarat government has advised all doctors and nursing staff attending to swine flu patients in government and private hospitals to follow protective measures, like wearing masks, and take mandatory precautions, a senior health official said Wednesday.

The move comes after reports that some nurses and doctors have shown swine flu-like symptoms.

'The medical staff attending to the swine flu patients are the most vulnerable section of the employees in a hospital to contract the virus which may later spread not just among their colleagues but also their family members,' a senior health department official stated.

He said that elaborate guidelines have been issued to all the staff in government and private hospitals about the care to be taken to avoid contracting the infection themselves.

As of now, there are 39 confirmed cases of swine flu in Gujarat.