MEXICO CITY/GENEVA (Reuters) - A new virus has killed up to 149 people in Mexico and the World Health Organization moved closer on Monday to declaring it the world's first flu pandemic since 1968 as the illness spread further in the United States and Europe.
The WHO raised its pandemic alert level to phase 4 over the deadly swine flu virus, indicating a significant increased risk of a pandemic, a global outbreak of a serious disease.
There were 40 confirmed cases of the flu in the United States, including 20 cases at a New York City school where eight cases were already identified, U.S. health officials said.
Although the flu is not caught from eating pig meat products, several countries imposed import bans on pork from the United States. Stocks in companies such as airlines were also hit as investors worried about the impact of the illness on travel.
The WHO's measure still falls short of declaring a pandemic. The last such flu outbreak, a "Hong Kong" flu pandemic in 1968, killed about 1 million people in the world.
Texas health authorities confirmed a third case of swine flu at a school near the Mexican border and California had eight confirmed cases.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged caution in traveling to Mexico and the European Union also advised its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to areas affected by swine flu. more...
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