Three more die of swine flu in Mexico City, authorities say measures working

Special
Report: World Tackles Swine
Flu

MEXICO CITY, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Three more people
died in the last 24 hours of swine flu, Mexico City officials told a Tuesday
press conference, adding that local authorities had ordered the closure of more
public places.

The total number of deaths in the city believed to be
related to swine flu is now 25, while 89 people are in hospital with swine-flu
symptoms, said Armando Ahued Ortega, head of the city's health department. He
said that 31 people had been hospitalized on Monday while 14 had been discharged
from hospital.

Passengers wear protective masks as they
ride Mexico's city subway April 28, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters
Photo)
Photo
Gallery

"If
we follow this path, we will be able to halt new infections and reduce deaths
and save those who have been infected with this new virus," said Mexico City
Mayor Marcelo Ebrard Casaubon at the same press conference.

He said that Mexico City now has 320 people believed
to have been infected with swine flu, down from 326 on Monday and 351 on Sunday.
Five people died on Sunday, compared with three on Monday.

The city has been giving out face masks on public
transport, closing public parks and entertainment centers, and urging citizens
with symptoms of the flu -- a sharp increase in body temperature, headaches,
muscular pains and breathing problems -- to visit their nearest medical center
as soon as possible. Those who died had mostly sought medical help only when the
disease was well entrenched.

Workers wearing protective masks wait
for a bakery to open in Mexico City April 28, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters
Photo)
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Gallery

"The medicine available for treating patients is
highly effective during the first 72 hours of infection," said the mayor, adding
that city policies and the collaboration of residents had checked wider
contagion.

City medical centers provided care and advice to more
than 12,000 people who claimed to have flu symptoms on Monday, around half of
whom had some symptoms but the vast majority did not have swine flu.

A passenger takes off his surgical mask
as he leaves the terminal after coming off of a flight from Mexico City at
London's Heathrow Airport in west London April 28, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters
Photo)
Photo
Gallery

The city has ordered all restaurants, bars, cabarets,
dance halls, pool halls, cinemas, theaters, gymnasiums and swimming pools be
closed. The mayor also announced a 150-million-peso fund which will be used to
help families, workers and businesses that have suffered in the outbreak.

In the nation as a whole, swine flu was believed to
have killed 149 people and hospitalized 776 others, according to central
government statistics. Another 1,070 people were treated for the flu, but were
well enough to go home.

Chinese president sends consolatory
message to Mexican leader over swine flu threat

BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao
sent a consolatory message Tuesday to his Mexican counterpart Felipe Calderon
after a swine flu outbreak has killed 152 people in the country.

In the message, Hu expressed sincere consolation to
Calderon, the Mexican government and the people on behalf of the Chinese
government, the Chinese people, as well as in his own name. Full story

Three more die of swine flu in Mexico
City, authorities say measures working

MEXICO CITY, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Three more people died
in the last 24 hours of swine flu, Mexico City officials told a Tuesday press
conference, adding that local authorities had ordered the closure of more public
places.

The total number of deaths in the city believed to be
related to swine flu is now 25, while 89 people are in hospital with swine-flu
symptoms, said Armando Ahued Ortega, head of the city's health department. He
said that 31 people had been hospitalized on Monday while 14 had been discharged
from hospital. Full story

U.S. confirmed swine flu cases rise to
64, 5 hospitalized

WASHINGTON, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed
human swine flu cases in the United States has risen to 64, with at least five
patients having been hospitalized, a health official said Tuesday.

"I fully expect we will see deaths from this infection,"
as swine flu cases are investigated, said Richard Besser, acting director of the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta (CDC). Full story

White House asks for $1.5 bln for
fighting swine flu

WASHINGTON, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The White House asked
Congress to approve 1.5 billion U.S. dollars on Tuesday in a response to the
fast spreading swine flu outbreak that has sickened over 60 in the United
States.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told a press conference
that President Barack Obama raised the request to Congress in a letter "out of
an abundance of caution" in order to "enhance our nation's capability to respond
to the potential spread of this outbreak." Full story

Chinese President Hu calls for
stepped-up efforts to prevent swine flu

BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- China went on full alert
Tuesday to guard against swine flu, as authorities ordered round-the-clock
monitoring of the deadly virus and suspension of pork imports from Mexico and
the United States.

Chinese President Hu Jintao Tuesday ordered the country to
step up inspection and quarantine measures to prevent swine flu from entering
China and ensure public health and safety. Full story

Health minister: "Probable" swine flu death toll reaches 152 in
Mexico

MEXICO CITY, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Mexican Health Minister
Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos said late Monday that "probable" deaths toll from
swine flu rose to 152 in the country. Full story

U.S. swine flu cases rise to 40, drug
stockpile released

WASHINGTON, April 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. health officials
said Monday that there are now up to 40 cases of swine flu in five U.S. States
and they had released 25 percent of a federal drugs stockpile to states fighting
swine flu.

Briefing reporters at a news conference in Atlanta on
Monday, Richard Besser, acting director of the CDC, said 20 new cases were
confirmed due entirely to further testing in New York at a school in Queens,
bringing the New York total to 28. Full story

WHO raises pandemic alert level from
Phase 3 to Phase 4

GENEVA, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Amid the rapid spread of
swine flu in some countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday
raised its pandemic alert level from Phase 3 to Phase 4, warning of a
significant increase in the risk of a pandemic.

Following the advice and guidance of an emergency
committee, WHO Director-general Margaret Chan decided to raise the alert level
from the current Phase 3 to Phase 4, a WHO official told the media on a
teleconference. Full story

Swine flu has become "most serious
concerns" of international community, UN chief says

UNITED NATIONS, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The unique strain of
swine influenza suspected of killing nearly 150 people in Mexico and spreading
rapidly to other countries is of "the most serious concern" to the international
community, including the United Nations, UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki moon told
reporters here on Monday.

"We are concerned that this virus could cause a new
influenza pandemic," he said in a statement read to the press here. "It could be
mild, in its effects, or potentially severe." Full story

Report: ROK confirms first swine flu
case

SEOUL, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Republic of Korea (ROK)
confirmed on Tuesday the first case of human infection of swine influenza, the
Yonhap news agency reported. Full story

China's Health Ministry on high alert
for swine flu

BEIJING, April 27 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Health
(MOH) is developing a diagnostic reagent for use in testing for swine flu, which
has killed more than 100 people in Mexico, an MOH spokesman said Monday.

Research on a possible vaccine and medication to combat
the deadly virus was also underway, MOH spokesman Mao Qun'an told Xinhua. Full story