KIEV, November 4 (RIA Novosti) - A total of 81 people have died of influenza-like diseases in Ukraine, the country's chief sanitary doctor Oleksandr Bilovol said on Wednesday.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said on Tuesday, 71 people have died of acute respiratory illness in the country. The health ministry said on Monday 255,000 flu cases had been reported in the country, with 15,000 receiving treatment in hospital.

"Over 478,000 people have fallen ill, 81 died," Bilovol said.

He said 14 confirmed swine flu cases have been registered in the country and three of them have been fatal.

About 12 million people, or a quarter of Ukraine's population, are expected to contract influenza-like diseases during the current outbreak.

"Up to 1% of them will be hospitalized, about 18,000 will be taken to intensive care," he said, without providing any forecast of fatalities.

President Viktor Yuschenko has requested help from other countries over the outbreak. The government has imposed quarantines in nine western provinces to curb the spread of swine flu, which originated in the Tirnopol Region.

All education establishments in the capital, Kiev, were closed on Monday until further notice due to the flu pandemic. Wearing medical masks has been a must in all catering places, shops and social services facilities throughout Ukraine since Friday.