Mexicans wear masks to prevent swine flu in Mexico city, capital of Mexico, April 26, 2009. Five people have died of swine flu in the last 24 hours in Mexico City, bringing the total of those killed to 15 in the capital, Mexico City's mayor, Marcelo Ebrard, told media on Sunday.(Xinhua/David de la paz) Photo Gallery>>>

    MEXICO CITY, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Five people have died of swine flu in the last 24 hours in Mexico City, bringing the total of those killed to 15 in the capital, Mexico City's mayor, Marcelo Ebrard, told media on Sunday.

    Ebrard said that 73 people were hospitalized with symptoms consistent with swine flu in the capital. Authorities have separately said that more than 1,300 have been hospitalized with such symptoms nationwide.

    With these deaths, the number who have died of swine flue rose to 25 in the nation as a whole, where seven of the nation's 32 states are suffering the outbreak. Authorities are studying samples from a further 62 who have died suffering symptoms appearing to be swine flu.

    But the Mexico government has not officially rechanged the death number.

    Ebrard also ordered closure of two top courts in the capital, the Federal District Supreme Court and the Arbitrage and Conciliation Court, for an indeterminate length of time, in a bid to check any possible spread. He also closed the largest city parks Chapultepec Zoo and San Juan de Aragon Woods.

Subway passengers wear masks to prevent swine flu in Mexico city, capital of Mexico, April 26, 2009. Five people have died of swine flu in the last 24 hours in Mexico City, bringing the total of those killed to 15 in the capital, Mexico City's mayor, Marcelo Ebrard, told media on Sunday.(Xinhua/David de la paz) Photo Gallery>>>

    Ebrard also ordered that a million facemasks be distributed free on the city's public transport system, describing the city as experiencing "a critical moment."

    The city government's first goal will be to "do all that is humanly possible to protect the population and brake the virus' spread."

    The second most important thing is for those suffering symptoms to visit medical centers quickly, because those who are treated early have a better chance of controlling the virus, he said.

Subway passengers wear masks to prevent swine flu in Mexico city, capital of Mexico, April 26, 2009. Five people have died of swine flu in the last 24 hours in Mexico City, bringing the total of those killed to 15 in the capital, Mexico City's mayor, Marcelo Ebrard, told media on Sunday.(Xinhua/David de la paz) Photo Gallery>>>

    During the same conference, Armando Ahued, who heads the city's health department, said that three of the five dead were in city-run hospitals and the other two were in clinics run by the Mexican Social Security Agency.

    The Supreme Court president, Edgar Elias, said separately that the courts would remain closed until at least May 6, but that local criminal courts would keep operating. 

Backgrounder: Key facts about swine flu

    WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A new swine flu strain has killed as many as 20 people and sickened more than 1,300 across Mexico. Eleven U.S. people were also confirmed to be infected with the virus.

The World Health Organization announced Saturday that the outbreak in Mexico and the United States constituted a "public health emergency of international concern."

Mexico president calls for calm on swine flu

    MEXICO CITY, April 26 (Xinhua) -- President Felipe Calderon on Sunday called on Mexicans to avoid flu infections and maintain calm while facing the swine flu, which has infected 1,384 and killed 20 in the nation.

    "All Mexican should make a special effort to avoid contact with potential virus carriers," he said. "We are facing an epidemic not because of the number of cases but because it is a mutation of the flu virus. This is a new virus that has affected several states, but mostly the Mexico City conurbation," he said. Full story

U.S. declares public health emergency with 20 swine flu cases confirmed

    WASHINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Obama administration on Sunday declared public health emergency, immediately after at least 20 cases have been confirmed of swine flu in the United States.

    The Department of Health and Human Services "will declare today a public health emergency in the United States," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told a White House briefing. Full story

Obama orders active measures to deal with swine flu

    WASHINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama has ordered his administration to take active and aggressive measures to deal with swine flu, which has infected at least 20 people in the United States.

    As one of the measures, the administration declared a public health emergency on Sunday. Full story

Probable swine flu death toll reaches 81 in Mexico

    MEXICO CITY, April 25 (Xinhua) -- An outbreak of swine flu in Mexico may have killed up to 81 people so far this month while more than 1,300 were suspected to be infected, Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said late Saturday.

    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. Full story

More swine flu cases crop up in California

    A total of seven swine flu cases have been reported so far in California, indicating the potential for a swine flu pandemic, health officials warned on Sunday.

    Four cases were reported in San Diego County and three in Imperial County, both in Southern California. The latest victim, a35-year-old Imperial County woman diagnosed April 4, has since fully recovered, according to the California Public Health Department. Full story

Spain reports three suspected cases of swine flu

    MADRID, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Health Minister Trinidad Jimenez said on Sunday that three Spanish nationals had developed symptoms similar to swine flu a few days after they returned from a Mexico trip.

    Currently, the three were placed in isolation and treated at different hospitals, said Jimenez. Full story 

Two people in swine flu alert in Scotland

    LONDON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Two people have been admitted to a hospital in Scotland after returning from Mexico on April 21 because they displayed mild flu-like symptions, BBC reported here Sunday.

    But the two patients were not giving cause for concern, said Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon. She said there was "no immediate threat to public health in Scotland." Full story

Canada confirms six cases of swine flu

    OTTAWA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Six cases of swine flu have now been found in Canada, health officials confirmed Sunday.

    Four cases have been confirmed in the eastern Nova Scotia province. The patients are high school students who recently traveled to Mexico. All have minor symptoms and are recovering, provincial health officials said. Full story

Eight swine flu cases confirmed in New York

    NEW YORK, April 26 (Xinhua) -- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Sunday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that eight high school students from city have been infected with swine flu.

    Bloomberg told a press conference the cases are mild and that many are recovering. Full story

Report: Israeli man in hospital on suspicion of swine flu

    JERUSALEM, April 26 (Xinhua) -- A 26-year-old Israeli man was hospitalized Sunday in Netanya after returning from Mexico with signs of swine flu, local news service Ynet reported.

    The man has been isolated and doctors are trying to determine whether he has been infected with the swine flu virus, which has led to the death of dozens of people in Mexico, said the report. Full story

WHO says world better prepared to deal with possible pandemic

    GENEVA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The world is now much better prepared to deal with a possible pandemic than five years ago, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Sunday.

    "The past five years have put us in the best possible position to handle this kind of situation," Keiji Fukuda, acting WHO director-general for health security, told a telephone press conference on the current threat of swine flu. Full story

World Bank provides Mexico with over $200 mln to address swine flu

    WASHINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank is giving Mexico more than 200 million U.S. dollar in loans to help the country tackle a recent outbreak of swine flu, Mexican Finance Minister Agustin Carstens said here Sunday.

    Carstens said 25 million U.S. dollars will be used for immediate needs like purchasing medicine and medical equipment, while another 180 million in loans will deal with long-term needs. Full story

Canada says well-prepared to handle swine flu outbreak

    OTTAWA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Canada's Health Minister Leona Aglukkaqon Sunday said the country is well-prepared to deal with the outbreak of swine flu and pledged to take whatever measures to keep the public safe.

    The remarks came after six cases of swine flu were confirmed in the country earlier Sunday. Full story

California on alert as swine flu death toll increases in Mexico

    LOS ANGELES, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Public health officials in California on Sunday warned of the potential for a swine flu pandemic as the death toll of the disease increased in Mexico and cases cropped up in the United States.

    A total of seven cases have been reported so far in California, with four in San Diego County and three in Imperial County, officials said. Full story

Mexico City takes measures against flu outbreak

WHO declares swine flu outbreak "public health emergency"

    GENEVA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO)on Saturday declared the swine flu outbreak in Mexico and the United States a "public health emergency of international concern" and urged countries to be alert. 

    Based on the advice of a WHO emergency committee, Director-general Margaret Chan "has determined that the current events constitute a public health emergency of international concern," the UN agency said in a statement.  Full story

China on alert to prevent swine flu infection

    BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine issued an emergency notice Saturday night requiring people to report flu-like symptoms at the point of entry when coming from the deadly swine flu affected places.

    This is China's latest move in response to the outbreaks of human infection of Swine Influenza A/H1N1 in Mexico and the United States.  Full story

Hong Kong to enhance surveillance at boundary control points for swine flu

    HONG KONG, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong will step up local surveillance systems at boundary control points and the public health laboratory in light of outbreaks of human infection of Swine Influenza A/H1N1 in Mexico and the United States, the Center for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health of Hong Kong announced on Saturday.

    Travelers from the affected places who are found to have Swine Influenza symptoms at Hong Kong's boundary control points will be taken to hospitals for further investigation. Laboratory testing for Swine Influenza will be conducted for patients with influenza-like-illness who had traveled to the affected places within 7 days before onset of symptoms. Full story

Macao issues warnings to residents traveling in nations with swine flu outbreak

    MACAO, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) of Macao has sent out an SMS alert to local residents currently traveling in Mexico, the U.S., Canada and New Zealand to be attentive to the latest news concerning Swine Influenza, and to avoid crowded public areas, according to a GGCT press statement released on Sunday.

    The move came after the Chinese Embassy in Mexico issued a notice to Chinese citizens concerning Swine Influenza.  Full story

Japan tightens measures against swine flu threat after outbreak in Mexico

    TOKYO, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Japan has tightened preventive measures against the threat of swine flu as the deadly outbreaks in Mexico claimed more than 60 human lives.

    At a meeting of ministry and agency section chiefs Saturday, the government decided to strengthen measures to prevent the virulent strain of swine flu from spreading to Japan and issued an advisory for travelers to Mexico and the United States, where eight people were infected with the disease, that urges precautions such as wearing masks and washing hands, and called on all people returning from either country to report unusual symptoms.  Full story

S Korea to tighten quarantine measures for U.S., Mexican pork

    SEOUL, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The South Korean government announced to tighten quarantine measures for pork from the United States and Mexico after outbreaks of swine influenza in these countries, local media reported on Sunday.

    South Korea's National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service announced Saturday that U.S. and Mexican pork to be imported from Monday will be put in quarantine to check if it was infected with the disease.  Full story

Australian health experts meet to respond to swine-flu threat

    CANBERRA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Australia's health protection officials including chief medical officer Jim Bishop hold meetings on Sunday to talk about how to guard the nation from the pig flu outbreak in Mexico and the United States.

    "Australia has good communicable disease surveillance and control systems in place to detect and respond to outbreaks of illness," a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Ageing said.  Full story

New Zealand school group quarantined on return from Mexico

    WELLINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- A school group from New Zealand's largest city of Auckland was being quarantined at home after returning from Mexico, New Zealand media reported on Sunday.

    An emergency decree has been declared in Mexico following the outbreak of a new flu virus suspected of killing 81 people there. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreaks of influenza-like illness in Mexico and four U.S. states as a "public health emergency of international concern".  Full story

South American nations on alert for swine flu

    LIMA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Public health authorities of South American countries took precautionary measures to fend off a possible pandemic after a deadly swine flu virus claimed dozens of lives in Mexico and infected at least 11 people in the United States.

    In Peru, experts with the Health Ministry said the ministry had initiated a nationwide precautionary plan to deal with potential threats, though no suspicious cases have been reported so far in the country.  Full story

Britain on alert for swine flu outbreak

    LONDON, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Britain has said it is monitoring closely the spread of swine flu as three potential cases had been reportedly found in the country by Sunday.

    So far, at least 86 deaths linked with the virus have been reported in Mexico, and more cases have been identified in other countries.  Full story