MEXICO CITY, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos said on Monday that 1,995 people had been hospitalized with swine flu across the country, while 149 people were believed to have died of this pandemic.
According to Cordova, among the 1,995 people, 776 are
still in serious conditions, while 1,070 have been discharged after treatment.
A health worker (L) wearing a mask
monitors passengers arriving from Mexico and travelling through to Peru
for possible swine flu infection at Santiago's international airport April
27, 2009. Mexico said a new flu virus has killed up to 149 people and it
ordered all schools to close across the country on Monday as the disease
spread in the United States, Canada and Europe, raising fears of a
pandemic. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
As a new preventive measure, the government ordered
the cancellation of school activities at all levels, from kindergartens to
universities, across the country through May 6.
The Mexico City authorities, in coordination with the
National Commission of Water (Conagua), decided to cancel the maintenance
program of water pipelines originally scheduled for May 1 to 5.
Canadian tourists, about to board a
plane back to Canada, put on surgical masks as they walk inside Mexico
City's international airport Benito Juarez April 27, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
Cordova said that medical authorities expect the
number of cases to continue to rise, as the outbreak remains in a severe period.
The minister added that two labs will be set up soon,
with the capability of conducting 100 tests daily.
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
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
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
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
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
