Cape Town — As Susan Kok, South Africa's only suspected swine flu patient, waits in isolation at her home near Mossel Bay to be given a clean bill of health, fears have been expressed that the virus could pose a threat to the upcoming Confederations Cup.

In South Africa, both the government and the Local Organising Committee of the Fifa 2010 World Cup are watching international developments closely.

This week Fifa Secretary General Jerome Valcke said the threat of a travel ban due to the outbreak of the virus could pose a serious threat to the Confederations Cup.

Valcke has not ruled out the possibility of cancelling the tournament. "We will cancel only if we feel that we have to. If there are no risks and if we have all the necessary assurances, the competition will go ahead," he told Voice of America.

The Confederations Cup, the benchmark pre-World Cup tournament, is set to be played in South Africa by the teams from seven regions in less than six weeks.

Both the UN and World Health Organisation (WHO) have warned that developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, are at high risk from swine flu, which by last night, had spread to 13 countries across the world.

"As far as we are concerned we share our government's assertion that there is no cause for panic at this stage," said 2010 LOC spokesperson Rich Mkhondo.

"We have not reached a stage where we foresee the cancellation of any games. Fifa will be meeting with the WHO in Geneva next week."

Five participating countries, Brazil, Spain, New Zealand, the US and South Africa, have reported cases of suspected swine flu.

At this stage there is no international travel ban, although WHO spokesperson Aphaluck Bhatiasevi said if the swine flu reached pandemic level this would change.

"We are advising people to take basic hygiene precautions..

"It is up to the South African government to decide whether or not the Confederations Cup should be cancelled. All countries in the world are vulnerable at the moment. People are travelling and we don't know how widespread it is. But the behaviour of the virus has shown that it is mild," Bhatiasevi said.

This week, Fifa cancelled the Confederations of North and Central Americas and the Caribbean Association Football under 17 tournament in Mexico, the epicentre of the swine flu outbreak.

Regarding Kok's status, National Institute for Communicable Diseases's deputy director Dr Lucille Blumberg said her results were not yet available from their reference library in Johannesburg. One specimen was expected to arrive in Johannesburg today.

Blumberg said Kok, who flew home from a holiday in Mexico last Saturday, had made a good recovery and was not in any danger.

At her home in Hersham, Great Brak River, Kok, 58, coughed repeatedly during a telephone interview with Weekend Argus on Friday.

She said she couldn't wait to leave her house and come to Cape Town to pick up her dog Chianti.

Chianti, a black Labrador, had been looked after by her daughter while she and her husband Dan, 63, were in Mexico for a month.

"We long to see Chianti, and our daughter who is expecting twins - our first grandchildren."

Kok said her doctor had told her the results were negative but they should stay at home until Monday. "We were told not to interact with other people so we'll just be staying at home."

In Mexico, confirmed deaths had risen to 15. - Additional reporting by agencies.