Thousands of people at Bristol University have been warned to be alert to the symptoms of swine flu after a student tested positive for the virus.

The Health Protection Agency confirmed that the student had tested positive for the H1N1 strain of influenza yesterday afternoon.

No details of the person affected have been revealed but they are said to be receiving the appropriate medical care and recovering in private accommodation in the city.

Housemates of the student have been given anti-viral drugs as a precaution, including some believed to have suffered flu-like symptoms.

Following a risk assessment, the decision has been taken not to close the university but 23,000 staff and students were being sent an e-mail explaining the situation and directing them to websites with information about the virus.

The university has taken the actions as part of its flu pandemic contingency plan that was put together ahead of the international outbreak of H1N1.

Staff are working closely with the Health Protection Agency and NHS Bristol to monitor the situation.

People who work or study at the university are being advised to be vigilant and if they develop flu-like symptoms to phone their GP or contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647.

The World Health Organisation raised the flu alert to pandemic status last week, which means that the outbreak has reached a global scale.

The number of confirmed cases of swine flu in the UK had reached 1,585 by last night – 1,062 in England, 508 in Scotland, 12 in Northern Ireland and three in Wales.

The Bristol area has remained relatively unaffected. There were two confirmed cases in early May. The first was a year 7 pupil at Downend School who came down with the virus after returning from a holiday in Mexico.

Then 43-year-old Barry Greatorex, of Chipping Sodbury, was confirmed as having swine flu.

His was believed to be the first case where H1N1 was contracted in England, after he caught the virus off a colleague who had returned from a trip to Mexico.

People are reminded to follow good basic hygiene to minimise the spread of the virus.

Bristol University spokesman Barry Taylor, said: "Institutions like this have been gearing up for the possibility of swine flu for months and months, having meetings and developing our flu pandemic emergency plan and we are in the process of implementing it in partnership with the Health Protection Agency, and NHS."

A spokesman for the Health Protection Agency said a risk assessment was carried out to determine whether the affected student had a lot of contact with other people.