BENGALURU- The Indian arm of German software group SAP said on Thursday it had shut down all offices in the country for sanitisation after two of its employees in the southern city of Bengaluru tested positive for the H1N1 virus.

SAP India offices in Bengaluru - considered the tech hub of India - Gurgaon and Mumbai have been temporarily closed and all employees have been asked to work from home till further notice, SAP said in an emailed statement.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), H1N1 symptoms include fever, chills and sore throat and is similar to seasonal influenza but has been characterised by higher fatality rates among healthy young adults and higher incidence of viral pneumonia.

(Reporting by Chris Thomas and Chandini Monnappa in Bengaluru; Editing by Edmund Blair) ((chris.thomas@thomsonreuters.com; +91-80-6749-8695;))