Show Notes

• Archived Blog Post

  Date / Time: 4/25/2009 11:02 PM UTC

  Mexico fights swine flu with 'pandemic potential'
  

  WHO warns of flu pandemic as Mexico City frets

  Sat Apr 25, 2009 2:59pm EDT

   

  Email | Print |

  Share

  | Reprints | Single Page

  [-] Text [+]

  By Catherine Bremer

  MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A new flu strain that has killed up to 68 people in Mexico could become a pandemic, the World Health Organization warned on Saturday, as the nation's crowded capital hunkered down in fear of the disease.

  Hospitals tested patients with flu symptoms for the never-before-seen virus, which has also infected eight people in the United States. There have been no further deaths in Mexico City since Friday, but 24 new suspected cases were being tested and officials warned the strain was spreading fast between people, meaning there was a risk of a major outbreak.

  "It has pandemic potential because it is infecting people," WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said in Geneva.

  "However, we cannot say on the basis of currently available laboratory, epidemiological and clinical evidence whether or not it will indeed cause a pandemic.

  The new flu strain -- a mixture of swine, human and avian flu viruses -- is still poorly understood and the situation is evolving quickly, Chan said.

  As far away as Hong Kong and Japan, health officials said they were stepping up surveillance of travelers for flu-like symptoms.

  Mexico has said the new flu had killed at least 20 people and could be to blame for 48 more deaths. In all, more than 1,000 suspected cases have been reported nationwide. Most of the dead were aged 25 to 45, a worrying sign because a hallmark of past pandemics has been high fatalities among healthy young adults.

  Mexico has shut schools and museums and canceled hundreds of public events in its sprawling, overcrowded capital of 20 million people to try to prevent further infections.

  A foot race along Mexico City's most famous avenue was canceled on Saturday and two major soccer matches on Sunday were to be played in empty stadiums. Shopping centers were hushed, restaurant reservations were canceled and people out on the street wore face masks.

  "Our goal is to break the spread of the virus in the city," Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said after suspending 553 public events planned for coming days.

  No countries or global bodies have issued travel alerts about Mexico, but a significant worsening of the flu outbreak could damage the tourism and retail sectors in an economy already hit hard by the global crisis.

  MORE CASES COULD EMERGE

  The WHO says the virus from 12 of the Mexican patients is genetically the same as a new strain of swine flu, designated H1N1, seen in eight people in California and Texas. All of the eight later recovered.

  An emergency committee of WHO experts, convening on Saturday, will advise Chan on issues including possibly changing the WHO's pandemic alert level, currently at 3 on a scale of 1 to 6.

  "We do not yet have a complete picture of the epidemiology or the risk, including possible spread beyond the currently affected areas," Chan said, adding the situation was seen as "serious.
  • Tags:
  • MEXICO IN STATE OF E
  • Permalink