81 feared dead from swine flu in Mexico
Monday, 27 April 2009
MEXICO CITY, April 26 (AFP): Mexicans took new precautions amid fears that a new flu epidemic believed to have killed up to 81 people in the country could reach "pandemic" proportions and spread to the United States and worldwide.
Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova raised the probable death toll from the new multi-strain swine flu in Mexico to 81, including 20 already confirmed.
Earlier, Mexican President Felipe Calderon published an order giving his government extraordinary powers to tackle the deadly outbreak, as at least two new cases were reported in the United States, bringing the total infected there to 10.
"This virus has clearly a pandemic potential," World Health Organisation director general, Margaret Chan, said Saturday.
The Geneva-based UN agency branded the outbreak "a public health emergency of international concern," following a meeting of its emergency committee.
In a statement it said it was recommending that all nations "intensify surveillance for unusual outbreaks of influenza-like illness and severe pneumonia".
In Mexico, 13 new suspect cases were reported in the past 24 hours and a total of 1,324 patients with flu symptoms were under investigation, Health Minister Cordova said.
Since April 13, "there have been 81 registered deaths which are probably linked to the virus of which only 20 cases have virological checks," Cordova told a news conference after meeting with health officials from across the country.
The Mexico government has upped emergency measures that were put into place only Friday.
Wellington report says: New Zealand's health minister said Sunday 10 students who just returned from Mexico have tested positive for influenza. He said the cases are "likely" to be swine flu.
Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova raised the probable death toll from the new multi-strain swine flu in Mexico to 81, including 20 already confirmed.
Earlier, Mexican President Felipe Calderon published an order giving his government extraordinary powers to tackle the deadly outbreak, as at least two new cases were reported in the United States, bringing the total infected there to 10.
"This virus has clearly a pandemic potential," World Health Organisation director general, Margaret Chan, said Saturday.
The Geneva-based UN agency branded the outbreak "a public health emergency of international concern," following a meeting of its emergency committee.
In a statement it said it was recommending that all nations "intensify surveillance for unusual outbreaks of influenza-like illness and severe pneumonia".
In Mexico, 13 new suspect cases were reported in the past 24 hours and a total of 1,324 patients with flu symptoms were under investigation, Health Minister Cordova said.
Since April 13, "there have been 81 registered deaths which are probably linked to the virus of which only 20 cases have virological checks," Cordova told a news conference after meeting with health officials from across the country.
The Mexico government has upped emergency measures that were put into place only Friday.
Wellington report says: New Zealand's health minister said Sunday 10 students who just returned from Mexico have tested positive for influenza. He said the cases are "likely" to be swine flu.