From correspondents in London, England, 11:01 PM IST

Hollywood action hero-turned-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency following the swine flu epidemic currently gripping America.

More than 10 cases of the killer flu have been reported in California and Schwarzenegger hopes his plea for help will cut through red tape and speed up attempts to respond to the new strain, which claimed the life of a Mexican infant in Texas April 27, reports contactmusic.com.

'While there is no need for alarm, it is the governor's top priority to limit swine flu's spread as quickly and effectively as possible,' read a statement from his office.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)