Mexico shuts schools, museums to stop flu outbreak
Play Video Reuters – Fatal swine flu breaks out in Mexico.
AP – People wear surgical masks as a precaution against infection at a bus stop in Mexico City, Friday, April …
By MARK STEVENSON, Associated Press Writer Mark Stevenson, Associated Press Writer – 19 mins ago
MEXICO CITY – Mexico shut down schools, museums, libraries and state-run theaters across its overcrowded capital Friday in hopes of containing a swine flu outbreak that authorities say killed at least 20 people — and perhaps dozens more. World health authorities worried openly that the strange new virus could become a global epidemic.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said tests show some of the Mexico victims died from the same new strain of swine flu that sickened eight people in Texas and California.
Mexico put the confirmed toll at 20 dead, but 40 other fatalities were being probed, and at least 943 nationwide were sick from the suspected flu, the health department said.
Scientists said the virus combines genetic material from pigs, birds and humans in a way researchers have researchers have not seen before. "We are very, very concerned," spokesman Thomas Abraham said.
"We have what appears to be a novel virus and it has spread from human to human," he said. "It's all hands on deck at the moment."
President Felipe Calderon cancelled a trip and met with his Cabinet to coordinate Mexico's response.
The government planned to administer its remaining 500,000 vaccines from the flu season to health workers, the highest risk group, although it is not known how effective they are on swine flu. It said it also has enough oseltamivir, the generic name of Tamiflu, to treat 1 million people, but the medicine will be strictly controlled and handed out only by doctors.
Play Video Reuters – Fatal swine flu breaks out in Mexico. -
Play Video Video:Health officials on alert for swine flu AP -
Play Video Video:Swine Flu Cases May Be Related to Flu Outbreak in Mexico News 8 San Diego
AP – People wear surgical masks as a precaution against infection at a bus stop in Mexico City, Friday, April … By MARK STEVENSON, Associated Press Writer Mark Stevenson, Associated Press Writer – 19 mins ago
MEXICO CITY – Mexico shut down schools, museums, libraries and state-run theaters across its overcrowded capital Friday in hopes of containing a swine flu outbreak that authorities say killed at least 20 people — and perhaps dozens more. World health authorities worried openly that the strange new virus could become a global epidemic.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said tests show some of the Mexico victims died from the same new strain of swine flu that sickened eight people in Texas and California.
Mexico put the confirmed toll at 20 dead, but 40 other fatalities were being probed, and at least 943 nationwide were sick from the suspected flu, the health department said.
Scientists said the virus combines genetic material from pigs, birds and humans in a way researchers have researchers have not seen before. "We are very, very concerned," spokesman Thomas Abraham said.
"We have what appears to be a novel virus and it has spread from human to human," he said. "It's all hands on deck at the moment."
President Felipe Calderon cancelled a trip and met with his Cabinet to coordinate Mexico's response.
The government planned to administer its remaining 500,000 vaccines from the flu season to health workers, the highest risk group, although it is not known how effective they are on swine flu. It said it also has enough oseltamivir, the generic name of Tamiflu, to treat 1 million people, but the medicine will be strictly controlled and handed out only by doctors.
