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."

Mexican stadiums closed for fear of swine flu

    MEXICO CITY, April 26 (Xinhua) -- A game in Mexico City's Aztec Stadium has to be played before an empty house on Sunday as swine flu fears forced stadiums to be closed.

    The capacity 105,000 Aztec Stadium was empty when Mexico City's America team played at the normally jam-packed stadium against Tecos. 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

Mexican gov't warns against improper advertising regarding swine flu

    MEXICO CITY, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Mexican government on Sunday warned that firms should not take advantage of the nation's swine flu panic with false advertising.

    Any advertising that is "unauthorized or that tries to confuse or surprise users, will be taken off the air immediately and sanctioned with the full weight of the law," the Federal Commission Against Health Risks of the Health Ministry said in a statement. Full story

Portugal issues swine flu alert

    LISBON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Portugal's health authorities said Sunday that there are no confirmed cases of swine flu in the country so far while the government is on alert for a "potential pandemic risk."

    The General Health Directorate said Portugal has issued an alert asking residents experiencing symptoms like a swift increase in temperature, intense headache or muscular pain to see doctors and give samples for analysis, especially when they recently visited Mexico, Canada or the United States or had contact with people from those countries. Full story

New Zealand upgrades alert level to Code Yellow for swine flu

    WELLINGTON, April 27 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said on Monday that New Zealand was well prepared to handle swine flu and has increased surveillance.

    The health authorities has put the alert status for response to a potential influenza epidemic up from white to yellow, a stand-by phase which is one below the code red response phase. Full story

Spain investigating seven possible swine flu cases

    MADRID, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Spain's Health Ministry on Sunday announced that the country is investigating seven possible cases of swine flu in four autonomous regions.

    The Health Ministry will take at least 48 hours to confirm if these are cases of swine flu, and has called a meeting of officials from the autonomous regions to discuss possible emergency measures. Full story

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