20 suspected swine flu cases reported in France

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu

PARIS, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Twenty people in France are suspected to be infected with swine flu virus so far and are put under observation, French health authorities said Tuesday.

A total of 107 French people have reported symptoms of flu after returning from Mexico since April 25, and 30 of them were listed as possible swine flu cases after the first round of medical tests, Francoise Weber, head of French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (INVS), told a press conference here.

Ten people were ruled out of infection after further tests, and at present 20 others were still going through medical checkups. The suspected cases are currently put on isolation.

The health official expected more people to be going through tests for possible swine flu infections, with more French returning from Mexico, where nearly 160 people have died after contracting the virus.

In a statement published on its website Tuesday, the French Foreign Ministry strongly advised its nationals not to travel to Mexico because of the deadly flu epidemic that started there.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is now on a visit to Spain, on Tuesday called on French citizens to stay on alert, saying that the French government has been closely following the situation and would inform the public of all related developments.

Expert praises Mexican citizens' fight against swine flu

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu

MEXICO CITY, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Citizens' participation is key in
checking the spread of the A/H1N1 swine flu virus responsible for 159 deaths in
Mexico, an academic epidemiologist told Xinhua on Tuesday.

"Steps can be taken to overcome the epidemic only when citizens follow the
information and instructions given by the federal government and the Mexico City
mayor's office," said Robna Galaz, who earned her doctorate at the National
Polytechnic Institute in Mexico.

Five days after the health authorities declared an epidemic outbreak, the
number of cases tops 2,000 with 70 percent of them yet to be confirmed as the
new swine flu strain.

Galaz said that official instructions to wear face masks, wash hands
frequently, avoid large gatherings, and consult a physician early if in doubt,
would not only protect the individual but also the family, community and all
society.

Face masks quickly became visible in public transport, malls, streets and
offices. She also praised the Mexican army for its Plan DN-III, deployed to the
streets to distribute the masks.

People believe the government is delivering trustworthy information that
calms the population, said Galaz.

"Mexico can fight this new virus as soon as it has more information," she
said. "It currently incubates from two to five days and there is enough time to
attack it."

She added that the nationwide suspension of classes from nursery to
university starting on Monday was a precautionary measure to allow the other
places of the country to detect new cases or outbreaks.

New quarantine powers enacted in Australia to manage swine flu

CANBERRA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Australian federal Health Minister Nicola
Roxon said on Wednesday Governor-General Quentin Bryce approved to pass the new
quarantine powers for health officials in response to the global outbreak of
swine flu.

"Using disinfectants on planes or at ports, through to the far more extreme
(powers) which are *** sure that people are isolated and perhaps detained if
they don't cooperate and are showing symptoms of this disease," Roxon told ABC
Radio.

But Roxon has stressed they were only precautionary measures and won't
necessarily be used.

"We are not about to take those steps but we want to make sure that all the
powers are there, that we are ready to act if this takes a dramatic turn for the
worst," Roxon said.

Thermal imaging equipment that shows the body's temperature will not yet be
used at Australian airports, Roxon said.

"If we see the situation changing in other countries, if we find that the
disease is being passed on in a more effective way or is being particularly
virulent elsewhere we of course will reassess whether it is necessary," Roxon
said.

Roxon has approached Bryce on Tuesday night to approve the powers, which
include allowing authorities to detain people suspected of having the
potentially deadly virus.

There have been 111 possible swine flu cases being investigated in
Australia, including 22 locals who were on the same flight as three New Zealand
students now confirmed as being infected.

The remaining 89 have been showing flu-like symptoms and were being tested
and results are expected in the next 48 hours.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned on Sunday that an outbreak
of swine flu in Mexico has spread to other countries.

Mexico's Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said late Tuesday 2,498
suspected cases of swine flu have been reported, with 1,311 of the patients
still in the hospital. The probable death toll from swine flu in Mexico rose to
159.

Chile takes measures to prevent swine flu

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu

SANTIAGO, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Chilean government has taken preventive measures to deal with the swine flu outbreak in North America although the country has no confirmed cases yet, the authorities said on Tuesday.

President Michelle Bachelet requested all Chileans pay attention to the information about the symptoms of the epidemic and the instructions of the

"To the moment we have not confirmed any case, so we do not have cases of swine flu in our country," Chilean Health Minister Alvaro Erazo said on Tuesday.

Currently there are 18 suspected cases being tested. Erazo said that another three suspects had been proved negative earlier.

"The patients under analysis are isolated till we get the confirmation, according to the clinic guide we are using in the country," Erazo said.

Chile set a sanitary barrier on April 23 requiring all passengers coming from Mexico and the United States to be checked at the airport of Santiago by taking temperature and discarding high fever.

The swine flu is a sub-kind of the seasonal flu (H1N1), which mutated from pigs to humans.

The swine flu symptoms are similar to those of the common flu, but with high fever, coughing, headache, pain in muscles and joints, red eyes, running nose, as well as vomits and diarrhea.

The Chilean health ministry has set a plan in face of these kinds of emergencies since 2002 by building a national network of health centers.

Chile has reserves of antiviral medicines to be delivered to all the health services, with 36,000 treatments have already been made.

Chile has suggested its citizens to avoid traveling to the countries affected by the flu and to follow related official health instructions.

Chile also launched the National Commission of Answer to Outbreaks and Health Emergencies to handle any infection case in the country.

Swine flu puts 179 people in isolation in New Zealand

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu

WELLINGTON, April 29 (Xinhua) -- A total of 179 people were in isolation around New Zealand as the number of cases of suspected swine flu continued to climb, said Health Ministry officials on Wednesday.

The officials said on Tuesday night there are at least three confirmed cases of swine flu in New Zealand: all from a Rangitoto College group who returned from Mexico early on Saturday.

They said results from three of the 11 samples of the students who tested positive to Influenza A on Sunday, have also tested positive for Swine Flu H1N1.

They assumed that all the 11 people in the group, who had tested positive for Influenza A, have Swine Flu.

On Wednesday morning, the Auckland Hospital lab has confirmed three more people with influenza A - which points to swine flu.

The government is expected to pass an order in Council on Wednesday adding swine flu to the list of notifiable diseases.

Meanwhile, a further two people showing flu-like symptoms were intercepted by officials at Auckland International Airport on Wednesday morning.

New Zealand became the sixth country in the world to have confirmed cases of the virus.

Spain confirms 2nd case of swine flu

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu 

MADRID, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Spain's Health and Social Policy Minister Trinidad Jimenez confirmed on Tuesday the second case of swine flu infection in the country.

The patient is a 24-year-old male student from University of Valencia, who made a study trip to Mexico with another student from Almansa (Albacete), who was the first confirmed case of swine flu in Spain.

Health authorities said that both infected men are out of risk and are recovering at hospitals.

Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero called for calm in a message on Tuesday after the swine flu cases were detected in the country.

Rodriguez Zapatero said that the country has scientific and therapy means to give a positive response to the treatment of the disease.

Meanwhile, Europe, Middle East, Oceania and Eastern Asia have registered some 12 suspected cases of swine flu.

Deaths investigated in Los Angeles for possible link with swine flu

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu

LOS ANGELES, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in Los Angeles were investigating on Tuesday two recent deaths that are possibly related to swine flu, and would be the first reported in the United States from the outbreak if confirmed.

A Los Angeles medical center reported the death of a 33-year-old man on Monday afternoon from symptoms resembling swine flu, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office.

"It's that diagnosis that needs to be confirmed. An autopsy will be performed to establish the cause of death," said a spokesman of the office.

The man was taken to the hospital on Saturday, complaining of shortness of breath and lymphoma and was diagnosed with pneumonia, according to the spokesman.

The second case under investigation involves a 45-year-old man, whose death was reported on Monday to the coroner's office. The man died on April 22 of pneumonia in Norwalk near Los Angeles.

According to published reports, no fatalities related to swine flu have been so far reported in the United States.

There have been no swine flu cases reported in the Los Angeles area since the outbreak from Mexico brought the world into a panic over the weekend, but local health officials said an outbreak is inevitable.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles health officials on Tuesday were still determining whether a woman who became ill after returning from a trip to Mexico will be listed as the area's first confirmed case.

A total of 11 cases have been documented in California, but all of them were mild and the patients have recovered since. The other confirmed cased in the United States are in New York, Texas, Ohio and Kansas.

Israel prepares for swine flu threat

by Xinhua writer Ma Xiaoyan

JERUSALEM, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency meeting Tuesday evening to evaluate preparations for the recent development regarding the looming threat of swine flu, following the confirmation of two cases of the virus.

ALERT LEVEL RAISED

Having been updated on the various future scenarios and forecasts, the Israeli government decided during the meeting to continue preparations on the basis of existing procedures in Israel and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, according to a statement released by Israel Government Press Office.

Israeli Health Ministry would examine existing stock of medicines in the country so as to be able to respond to future developments. Relevant officials would continually assess the situation and update the Israeli prime minister on a daily basis.

Earlier Tuesday, the health ministry raised the preparedness level for swine flu from Phase 3 to Phase 4. The change in preparedness levels did not involve any serious operative changes, since the ministry had contingencies for such a situation.

Meanwhile, signs were posted at Israeli Ben-Gurion International Airport, warning travelers arriving from Mexico to be on the alert for flu-like symptoms within a week of their return and to get medical help in that case.

"PANDEMIC" POTENTIAL

Israeli health authorities confirmed two cases of swine flu on Tuesday, signaling the spread of the virus from Mexico to the Middle East. The WHO has warned it has "pandemic" potential.

The 26-year-old man Tomer Vajim and a 47-year-old man, both of whom traveled back from Mexico, were diagnosed positive to the H1N2 virus after quarantine at hospital.

Israeli Health Ministry said Vajim was listed in a stable condition, but remained in hospital for observation, while the 47-year-old man is being kept in isolation while being treated.

Israeli health authorities fear that a third case of swine flu may have been discovered.

A 5-year-old niece of Tomer Vajim was undergoing tests to determine whether she had also contracted the virus, the website of Ha'aretz daily reported.

The hospital said the girl was in the children's ward and that she was in a good condition. She was admitted after suffering from a high temperature, sore throat and other flu-like symptoms.

A possible fourth victim is a 9-year-old boy who was on a flight from Newark of the United States, which landed in Israel two days ago carrying the second confirmed swine flu patient, said Ha'aretz.

The boy has been hospitalized in the children's hospital Dana in Tel Aviv after coming down with flu symptoms. Blood samples will be delivered to the WHO to determine whether he had contracted the virus.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES

In a bid to prevent the virus from spreading, Israeli Health Ministry reported Saturday evening that all hospital managers, as well as district doctors, had been briefed on the signs of the new swine flu virus and on preparedness procedures.

The ministry also released a list of preventive measures to the public, including frequent hand-washing, particularly after coughing or sneezing, and a recommendation to anyone suspected of having contracted the virus and traveling for treatment not to take public transport.

Swine flu refers to influenza caused by any strain of the influenza virus that is endemic in pigs. Till now, more than 150 people have died in Mexico in an outbreak of the virus. Dozens of other cases have been confirmed worldwide.

The WHO on Monday raised its pandemic alert level from Phase 3 to Phase 4, which means the swine flu virus can cause sustained human-to-human transmission and "community-level outbreaks."

NYC officials check on swine flu virus in second Queens school

NEW YORK, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Officials from the New York City Department of Health on Tuesday are looking into whether students at a second Queens school may have swine flu virus.

In addition to health officials, education officials and police officers are also gathering at the P.S. 177 or the Robin Sue Ward School for Exceptional Children, on 188th Street in Fresh Meadows, not far from St. Francis Prep, where the first cases were reported after a class trip to Mexico, to make sure all children and school faculty do not carry the virus.

Eleven students at the special needs school were sent to the hospital on Monday after complaining of high fever. Three adults, including the school's assistant principal, were also sent home. The assistant principal tested negative for swine flu.

According to the school's guidance counselor, the child of one of the teachers at P.S. 177 is one of the students at St. Francis Prep, who was confirmed to have swine flu. Additionally, the sibling of another P.S. 177 student also has the bug.

Health Minister: Bulgaria not able to identify swine flu

SOFIA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian Health Minister Evgeni Zhelev has said that Bulgaria has no capacity to identify swine flu if it spreads to the country, local press reported on Tuesday.

Zhelev said that no such tests have been developed because this has not been necessary so far.

He pointed out that any people suspected to have the virus will be quarantined and samples from patients will be sent to the World Health Organization (WHO), which will conduct the tests and send back the results.

There is enough anti-flu medicines stockpiled in Bulgaria to deal with a serious epidemic, Zhelev stressed, adding that all the hospitals and medical centers have been given strict instructions of what to do in the case of a possible swine flu outbreak.

"Local GPs will also be notified regarding the symptoms to lookout for and all hospitals in Bulgaria have been put on red alert," Zhelev said.

"At this stage, we have no reasons to speak about pandemic, the situation should not be dramatized and panic should not be spread," Zhelev said. He added that in Europe there are just a few cases of virus infections and seven patients who may have contracted the disease.

Meanwhile, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday advised Bulgarian citizens against traveling to Mexico unless they have urgent reasons to do so. 

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."

Obama said in the letter that the funds could be used to build up antiviral stockpiles, develop a vaccine, support the U.S. public health response to the outbreak and help international organizations stem its spread.

It could also go to supplementing the international response to the outbreak, with cases detected as far a field as Europe, Israel, and New Zealand, he added.

The United States has geared up its response after the swine flu outbreak beginning in Mexico more than two weeks ago spread to several American states including Texas, California and New York and has left at least 65 sick.

The U.S. government has declared a Public Health Emergency as a precautionary tool to ensure that it has the necessary resources to respond quickly and effectively.

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

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu

The entrances to the offices of Ernst
Young is seen in New York April 28, 2009. Another New York City case
of swine flu has been confirmed, striking an employee at the accounting
firm of Ernst Young who worked at the company's Times Squares
headquarters, a spokesman said on Tuesday. But the company issued a
statement on Tuesday saying it could no longer confirm it was a verified
case, although it said "out of an abundance of caution we have taken
appropriate steps to protect the health of our employees."
(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
Photo
Gallery

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).

According to Besser, the hospitalizations include
three in California and two in Texas. Their ages range from seven to 54.

However, the CDC reported no new infection sites
beyond five states already afflicted. Besser said there are 45 confirmed cases
in New York city, 10 in California, six in Texas, two in Kansas and one in Ohio.
However, at least four other cases have been reported by states.

"We are in a pre-pandemic period," the official said,
adding that the CDC is stepping up laboratory cultivation of the swine flu virus
for an eventual vaccine. 

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. authorities consider changing
name of "swine flu"

WASHINGTON, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. authorities said
on Tuesday that they were considering changing the name of "swine flu" to remove
misunderstanding by pork importers from the country.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters that the
United States is concerned not only about safety but also its impact on the
economy. 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

Two hospitalized in NYC, confirmed swine flu cases a lot more than 45, mayor says

NEW YORK, April 28 (Xinhua) -- One adult and one child have been hospitalized in New York and the city's confirmed swine flu cases could be much higher than the 45 as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Tuesday.

Both hospitalized patients, a two-year-old Bronx boy and a woman in Brooklyn with suspected swine flu, are now recovering, the mayor said.

So far, all the confirmed cases are from St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows, Queens, though authorities are probing P.S. 177, a public school not far away from St. Francis, and Ascension School in Manhattan for possible cases.

Bloomberg warned that the number of confirmed cases in St. Francis Preparatory School could go much higher if all the more than 100 students with flu-like symptoms were tested.

"We can get a lot more by just testing everybody at St. Francis," the mayor told a press conference. "You'll be shocked if out of the other 100 plus students who have a cough and a fever don't have it."

So far, the majority of the cases are all very mild and need no hospitalization.

Bloomberg said authorities have decided to stop testing each and every one of them because "it does not add any new information."

"If they are very sick, we'll test every case in the city," he said. "If they are just mild, we're just going to focus on other things."

Bloomberg said there are five new probable cases in New York City, with two unrelated to the St. Francis private school.

Eleven students at P.S. 177, a special needs school that is also known as the Robin Sue Ward School for Exceptional Children, were sent to hospital Monday after complaining of high fever. Three adults, including the school's assistant principal, were also sent home.

The assistant principal tested negative for swine flu.

According to the school's guidance counselor, the child of one of the teachers at P.S. 177 is one of the students at St. Francis Preparatory School who is confirmed to have swine flu.

Aside from St. Francis, which remained closed Tuesday, and P.S.177, where students were sent home with a letter saying the school would be closed on Wednesday, most of the city's schools remained open.

In flyers taken home by students, the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene urged parents to be "alert but calm."

There were no evident signs of panic in New York, though some of the city's drug stores have run out of face masks and hand sanitizers, as was the case at a Rite Aid on Northern Boulevard at85th Street in Queens.

Monica Granja, the 27-year-old manager, said the items had been bought up as early as Monday morning.

"I just hope it doesn't get close to us," said Granja, who has a 7-year-old son.

At a CVS drugstore several blocks away, customers are asked to check back Thursday evening or Friday morning.

On the chain's website, CVS.com, all face masks are listed as "out of stock" Tuesday afternoon, even the one with a warning that "it does not eliminate the risk of contracting any disease or infection," which was available the night before.

In Atlanta, CDC acting director Richard Besser said the total of confirmed swine flu cases has risen to 64, with at least five having been hospitalized -- three in California and two in Texas.

"I fully expect we will see deaths from this infection," Besser said.

In addition to the 45 in New York, the other confirmed cases are 10 in California, six in Texas, two in Kansas and one in Ohio.

"We are in a pre-pandemic period," Besser said.

In neighboring Mexico, the epicenter of the current outbreak, swine flu was believed to have killed 149 people and hospitalized 776 others. Another 1,070 people were treated for the flu, but were well enough to go home.

Total confirmed swine flu cases rise to 13 in Canada

OTTAWA, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Canada reported seven more confirmed cases of swine flu on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 13.

All the new cases are mild ones, with four in Ontario, one in British Columbia and two in Alberta, health officials said.

All the Ontario cases were found in the Toronto area and have been linked to Mexican travel, David Williams, the province's acting chief medical officer of health told a news conference in Toronto.

The illnesses so far appear to be mild and "it's like flu season continuing," he said.

Earlier in the day, health authorities in Alberta confirmed two mild cases in the province, one in Calgary and the other in the northern part of the province.

British Columbia, which already has two cases, confirmed one new case Tuesday afternoon.

Canada's chief public officer of health David Butler-Jones said that although all the cases are mild ones so far, more severe cases may appear and may result in deaths.

The Public Health Agency of Canada is advising against all non-essential travel to Mexico. 

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)
Photo
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

No swine flu case in Poland: minister

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu

WARSAW, April 28 (Xinhua) -- No case of swine flu has been reported in Poland, Health Minister Ewa Kopacz said Tuesday.

A woman hospitalized in Zielona Gora in western Poland after returning from Mexico early this month with flu symptoms has not been infected with the H1N1 virus, Kopacz was quoted by Polish news agency PAP as saying.

Swine flu has killed 149 people in Mexico. The first confirmed case of the disease in Europe was reported in Spain on Monday.

Swine flu is a respiratory disease that infects pigs and does not normally infect humans. But sporadic cases have happened, usually among people who had close contact with pigs.

On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised its global alert level from Phase 3 to Phase 4, signaling the swine flu virus was spreading from human to human in community outbreaks, but it did not declare a full-blown pandemic.

Tourism regulator: no swine flu detected among China arrivals

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu

BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese health authorities have detected no
cases of swine flu among people arriving in the country by 8:30 p.m. Tuesday,
according to the National Tourism Administration (NTA).

Members of both foreign and Chinese tourist groups coming from swine flu
affected countries had been monitored, said a statement on the NTA website.

The NTA urged all tourist departments to take effective prevention measures
and closely monitor tourists so as to avoid swine flu coming to China.

Travel agencies should keep track of their clients and their health
conditions, the administration said.

The government would also strengthen cooperation with tourism authorities
in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, keeping the public informed of the outbreak and
its effect on international travel.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) Wednesday ordered strict
sanitization of flights from countries and regions affected by swine flu.
Remains of food, waste and human excrement must be subject to special treatment.

China banned group visits to Mexico via travel agencies on Tuesday and
advised Chinese citizens to suspend travel plans to the country where the swine
flu infection was first reported.

Air travel between China and Mexico comprises two flights from Mexico City
to Shanghai by Mexicana Airlines, one on Monday and the other on Friday. There
is no domestic direct flight to Mexico.

More than 20 countries, such as the United Sates, Canada and Spain, have
reported cases or suspected cases of swine flu.

The probable death toll from swine flu in Mexico rose to 159, the Mexican
Health Ministry said late Tuesday.

Report on China origin of swine flu "groundless": agriculture ministry

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu

style="BORDER-RIGHT: #cc0000 1px solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 1px; BORDER-TOP: #cc0000 1px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 1px; FONT-SIZE: 1px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 6px; BORDER-LEFT: #cc0000 1px solid; WIDTH: 530px; COLOR: #cc0000; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.5; PADDING-TOP: 5px; BORDER-BOTTOM: #cc0000 1px solid; HEIGHT: 89px">

¡¤Overseas reports labeling China as origin of current swine flu outbreak
were groundless.
¡¤No human
cases of swine flu have been found in China, nor has the virus been
found.
¡¤China has
not exported live pigs to Mexico or the United
States.

BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Overseas reports labeling China as the origin of the current swine flu outbreak were groundless, China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) said Wednesday.

The press reports alleged some dead pigs found in Fuqing City and Changle City in southeast China's Fujian Province might be the source of the swine flu outbreak in Mexico, said the ministry.

The dead pigs, which were illegally disposed of, died of swine dysentery and dropsy, both normal among young pigs, and investigations in pig farms around the area found no sign of an epidemic, the ministry said.

What the ministry said was confirmed by local officials and farmers in Fuqing.

"The bodies of all the 25 dead pigs have been deeply buried and disinfected with lime," said He Changgui, vice head of the Chengtou Township in Fuqing.

"With the drastic weather changes these days, the pigs are prone to diseases," said Chen Changwang, a local official with Shouxi Village of Chengtou.

"The pigs did not die all at the same time," he said. "Some died quite a few days ago."

No human cases of swine flu have been found in China, nor has the virus been found in the country's pigs, both the MOA and Ministry of Health (MOH) said.

China has not exported live pigs to Mexico or the United States, which means the country cannot be the origin of the deadly disease, the MOA said.

MOH spokesman Mao Qun'an also told Xinhua earlier that the reports were against truth and scientific common sense.

Neither ministries named the media organizations that made the reports.

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

Premier Wen calls for strengthened
swine flu prevention

BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
on Tuesday called for enhanced swine flu prevention and control in a State
Council, or Cabinet, meeting in the wake of an outbreak of the epidemic in
countries including Mexico.

The meeting, presided over by Wen, heard reports from
central government departments including the Ministry of Health, on global swine
flu situation. Full story

China's health ministry protests
ungrounded swine flu reports

BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of
Health (MOH) said Wednesday that China "strongly opposes" the contents of
overseas media reports on the country's swine flu situation, which were made
"regardless of truth and scientific common sense."

MOH spokesman Mao Qun'an told Xinhua that some overseas
media reports claimed the source of the current swine flu epidemic was in China.
He did not specify any particular stories or organizations. Full story

China takes preventive steps against
swine flu

BEIJING,April 28-- The government Monday
banned the import of pork and pork products from Mexico and the U.S. states of
Texas, Kansas and California to prevent the spread of swine flu that has killed
at least 100 people in the Central American country.

All pork and pork products imported from Mexico and
the three U.S. states will either be returned to the suppliers or destroyed, the
General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine
(GAQSIQ) said. 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

Tourism regulator: no swine flu
detected among China
arrivals

BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua)
-- Chinese health authorities have detected no cases of swine flu among people
arriving in the country by 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to the National Tourism
Administration (NTA).

Members of both foreign and Chinese tourist groups
coming from swine flu affected countries had been monitored, said a statement on
the NTA website. Full story

China draws on SARS lessons as swine
flu spreads globally

GUANGZHOU,
April 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese provinces are drawing on their experience handling
the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) to cope with the
global swine flu outbreak.

Huang Fei, deputy director of the health bureau in south
China's Guangdong Province, said Wednesday that the bureau had designated three
provincial-level hospitals to treat suspected swine flu cases and ordered all
urban health departments to designate one hospital for the disease. Full story

Impact of swine flu expands with travel, pork import bans

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu 

BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The swine flu epidemic took a tighter grip on the world economy Tuesday as Cuba issued the first travel ban to Mexico and several other countries banned imports of Mexican and some North American pork.

Following warnings from a number of governments against travel to Mexico, Cuba on Tuesday suspended all flights to and from its neighbor for 48 hours, becoming the first country to impose a travel ban to the epicenter of the epidemic.

Argentina also suspended flights from Mexico for five days as travelers from around the world canceled or postponed trips to the country. Other nations, meanwhile, intensified surveillance at their borders against the new virus that is suspected in 159 deaths across Mexico.

Many airlines issued polices waiving usual penalties for changing reservations for anyone traveling to, from, or through Mexico. Travel agencies across Asia and Europe have canceled tours to the country.

Airlines and cruise lines saw their stocks plunge Monday as investors sold their shares ahead of an anticipated drop in traffic.

Observers said the epidemic could have a multifaceted impact on the global economy, not only in tourism and transportation but also food and other supporting sectors.

Nine countries, including Russia, the Philippines and Thailand, have banned pork imports from Mexico and parts of the U.S. despite assurances that the disease is not spread through meat.

U.S. authorities said Tuesday that they may drop the term 'swine flu' since the virus incorporates genetic material from three species and because many people erroneously think they can get it from meat.

"This is not a food-borne crisis. It's important to not refer to swine flu. It's important to convey the message that consuming pork will not cause this illness," said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

The United States has revved up its response to the outbreak since it began in Mexico more than two weeks ago and has since spread to several American states including Texas, California and New York.

The illness also has been reported in Israel, New Zealand and Europe.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday asked Congress for 1.5 billion U.S. dollars in emergency funds to combat the illness that has sickened at least 65 people in America.

Obama said in a letter to Congress that the funds could be used to develop a vaccine, support the U.S. public health response to the outbreak and assist other governments and international organizations in stemming the flu's spread.

Major epidemic outbreaks usually mean dwindling business opportunities and reluctant trade. In 2008, a flu pandemic cost 3 trillion U.S. dollars and caused a nearly 5-percent drop in world gross domestic product, according to the World Bank.

Crude prices fell for a second day on Tuesday as investors worried that the outbreak could further depress oil prices and curb a recovery of the global economy. Stocks, meanwhile, recovered slightly because of a slower drop in home prices.

The Obama administration said it was too soon to determine the potential economic impact of the outbreak and that the Treasury Department was monitoring the situation.

World concentrates on checking spreading of swine flu

Special Report: World Tackles Swine Flu 

BEIJING, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Swine flu continued to test nerves of countries around the globe on Tuesday, with the number of confirmed cases of infection rising in the disease's origin of Mexico.

The latest report of the Mexican health department said the number of suspected swine flu deaths has risen to 159, and the number of suspected cases has increased to 2,498.

The number of confirmed human infection in the United States has risen to 64, with at least seven patients having been hospitalized, while President Barack Obama asked Congress for 1.5 billion U.S. dollars to enhance U.S. and global capacity to respond to the potential spread of swine flu.

In a letter to lawmakers, Obama asked them for a supplemental spending plan to build drug stockpiles and monitor future cases.

He said the request was made "out of an abundance of caution" in order to "enhance our nation's capability to respond to the potential spread of this outbreak."

Canada reported seven more confirmed cases of swine flu on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 13.

Although all the new cases are mild ones, public health officials warned of more severe cases which may result in deaths.

Spanish Health and Social Policy Minister Trinidad Jimenez confirmed on Tuesday the second case of human infection of swine flu in the country.

The patient, a 24-year-old male student from University of Valencia, had a study trip to Mexico with the person who was the first confirmed case of swine flu in Spain.

Some 30 suspected cases of swine flu are under observation in Spain, the Spanish Health Ministry said.

As of Tuesday, confirmed cases of swine flu infection have also been reported in New Zealand, Israel, Britain and Costa Rica.

In Austria, five suspected swine flu patients, all of whom had been to Mexico recently, had been quarantined and received necessary medication.

The number of suspected cases in Brazil reached 20, but the Brazilian Health Ministry reaffirmed that the swine flu virus is not spreading in the country, as no one has contracted the disease on Brazilian soil so far.

China went on full alert Tuesday to guard against the virus, 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.

China is hoping to get swine flu virus samples from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention to facilitate its research on virus testing.

Suspected cases of human infection were also reported in China's Hong Kong, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Greece, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Ireland, France, Poland and Holland.

Following Cuba, Argentina decided to suspend flights from Mexico as a precautious measure, and was considering requiring visitors from North America to report to the health authorities.

Since it was proved that the swine flu was not transmitted by consumption, Nicaragua suspended the restriction on imports of pork products from Mexico.

The World Health Organization said it does not recommend border closures to fight the spread of swine flu because it "doesn't work" since not all infected people show symptoms.

The European Union (EU) said it currently has no plan to impose any trade restrictions on Mexico.

"We have no plans to impose any trade restrictions at present since there is no risk from food or animal products from what we know so far," a spokesman for EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton told reporters.