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US reports first swine flu death US reports first swine flu death
(1 day later)
A Mexican child has died of swine flu in Texas - the first death from the virus outside Mexico, where it may have killed as many as 159 people. A 23-month-old Mexican child has died of swine flu in Texas - the first death from the virus outside Mexico, where it may have killed as many as 159 people.
Officials say the 23-month child had been visiting relatives in the Houston area when he became ill. The child - one of 91 cases of swine flu in the US - had been visiting relatives in Texas when he fell ill.
President Barack Obama urged local authorities across the US to be vigilant and shut schools if necessary. The World Health Organization said the virus was still spreading, even though it was now from person to person.
Several new cases have been reported in Europe. The World Health Organization has called a meeting on the outbreak. And Spain says it has confirmed the first case of swine flu in a person who has not travelled to Mexico.
CONFIRMED CASES Mexico: 159 suspected deaths - seven confirmed cases US: one death, at least 63 confirmed casesCanada: 13 confirmed casesUK: 5 confirmed casesSpain: 4 confirmed casesGermany, New Zealand: 3 confirmed cases each Israel: 2 confirmed casesAustria: 1 case Mapping the outbreak href="/1/hi/world/americas/8022041.stm">In pictures: Swine flu spreads Mexico: First swine flu cases CONFIRMED CASES Mexico: 159 suspected deaths - seven confirmed cases US: one death, at least 91 confirmed casesCanada: 13 confirmed casesUK: 5 confirmed casesSpain: 10 confirmed casesGermany, New Zealand: 3 confirmed cases each Israel: 2 confirmed casesAustria: 1 case Mapping the outbreak href="/1/hi/world/americas/8025284.stm">In pictures: Concerns grow Mexico: First swine flu cases
Earlier, it confirmed that the flu was being transmitted between humans and called on countries to check their contingency plans for a possible pandemic. The Mexican boy had arrived in the Texan border city of Brownsville on 4 April and developed flu symptoms four days later, the Texas Department of State Health Services said.
But the WHO - the UN's health body - also urged caution, saying measures like travel bans were unlikely to prove effective. He was later transferred to a hospital in Houston, where he died on Monday night.
France will ask the European Union on Thursday to suspend all flights going to Mexico because of the flu outbreak, Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot said. The cause of death was confirmed on Wednesday by Dr Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
She said the request would be made at a meeting of the 27 EU health ministers, due to be held in Luxembourg.
New cases
The child's death in Houston was confirmed by Dr Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
SYMPTOMS - WHAT TO DO Swine flu symptoms are similar to those produced by ordinary seasonal flu - fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, chills and fatigueIf you have flu symptoms and recently visited affected areas of Mexico, you should seek medical adviceIf you suspect you are infected, you should stay at home and take advice by telephone initially, in order to minimise the risk of infection Q&A: What is swine flu? Swine flu: How serious a threat? Can masks help spread? The quest for a swine flu vaccine
"Unfortunately this morning I do have to confirm that we have the first death of a child from H1N1 flu virus," he told US TV channel CBS."Unfortunately this morning I do have to confirm that we have the first death of a child from H1N1 flu virus," he told US TV channel CBS.
Officials said he had recently crossed the border to visit family in southern Texas and became ill. Speaking in Washington, President Obama offered his condolences and said the federal government was doing the utmost to contain the virus.
Speaking in Washington on Wednesday, President Obama offered his condolences and said the federal government was doing the utmost to contain the virus. SYMPTOMS - WHAT TO DO Swine flu symptoms are similar to those produced by ordinary seasonal flu - fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, chills and fatigueIf you have flu symptoms and recently visited affected areas of Mexico, you should seek medical adviceIf you suspect you are infected, you should stay at home and take advice by telephone initially, in order to minimise the risk of infection class="" href="/1/hi/health/8021958.stm">Q&A: What is swine flu? class="" href="/1/hi/health/8022102.stm">Swine flu: How serious a threat? class="" href="/1/hi/health/8024605.stm">Can masks help spread? class="" href="/1/hi/health/8024240.stm">The quest for a swine flu vaccine
He also urged local public-health bodies to be vigilant and said schools with confirmed cases "should consider closing".He also urged local public-health bodies to be vigilant and said schools with confirmed cases "should consider closing".
Meanwhile, new cases of swine flu have been confirmed in several European countries - all people who recently visited Mexico. Texas Governor Rick Perry said closing the US border with Mexico was an option, but added that taking that step now would be "a little premature".
They include: The assistant director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Keiji Fukuda, said that although the virus originated in pigs, it was now being transmitted from human to human.
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  • Three cases in Germany - two women and one man
  • Three people in Britain - including a 12-year-old girl - bringing the UK total to five
  • One woman in Austria
  • In Spain, the number of confirmed cases doubled to four
"It is clear that the virus is spreading and we don't see evidence of it slowing down," he told reporters from WHO headquarters in Geneva.
Egypt, for its part, began a mass slaughter of all 300,000 pigs in the country in an effort to fight swine flu - although no cases have been reported in the country. He added that moving the pandemic alert to five - the second highest - from the current four would be a significant step, but was not necessary at the moment.
Confusion He said the WHO would do so if infected people in at least two countries were spreading the disease to other people in a sustained way.
In Mexico, there is some confusion over exactly how many people died from H1N1, the BBC's Stephen Gibbs reports. Closed schools
The WHO has said measures like travel bans were unlikely to prove effective.
France will ask the European Union on Thursday to suspend all flights going to Mexico because of the flu outbreak, Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot said.
From Matthew Price in Oaxaca, MexicoFrom Matthew Price in Oaxaca, Mexico
The first fatal case of the virus is believed to have been contracted here in Oaxaca. It is a tourist centre and the obvious concern is that when the visitors leave, they may take the virus with them.
At the local cemetery, a group of gravediggers pointed me towards a freshly dug plot. The flowers on top had wilted under the sun but still had some colour. Here was the grave of the first confirmed victim of the virus, Adela Gutierrez, 39.At the local cemetery, a group of gravediggers pointed me towards a freshly dug plot. The flowers on top had wilted under the sun but still had some colour. Here was the grave of the first confirmed victim of the virus, Adela Gutierrez, 39.
One of the gravediggers, Sergio Castro Lopez, told me people here are worried. They are waiting for the authorities to tell them what they should do. I tried at the local hospital to get more information but the ministry of health has ordered its staff across the country to remain silent. One of the gravediggers, Sergio Castro Lopez, told me people here are worried. They are waiting for the authorities to tell them what they should do.
This is largely because the government is now subjecting the samples it has from deceased patients to a more laborious verification process. In Spain, the government said the first person to contract swine flu without having travelled to Mexico was the boyfriend of a young woman who had recently returned from there.
Meanwhile, the search for the source of the outbreak continues, with the focus on the vicinity of a pig farm in the eastern part of the country. Spanish Health Minister Trinidad Jimenez said such cases were to be expected.
The Mexican government is urging against jumping to conclusions and is suggesting the possibility remains that the virus originated outside the country, our correspondent adds. In total, the number of confirmed cased in Spain rose from two to 10 on Wednesday. None of them are seriously ill.
The capital, Mexico City, has banned restaurants and cafes from serving all food except takeaways to try to prevent the spread of the virus. In Mexico, the search for the source of the outbreak continues, with the focus on the vicinity of a pig farm in the eastern part of the country.
Schools across the country have closed, public gatherings are restricted and archaeological sites have been placed off-limits. The Mexican government is urging against jumping to conclusions and is suggesting the possibility remains that the virus originated outside the country.
There is great fear among the medical community... One of my colleagues that was exposed chose to stay in a hotel rather than run the risk of infecting her daughters Dr Guadalupe, BBC News website reader in Mexico class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/8024308.stm">Swine flu: Doctors' diary class="" href="/1/hi/talking_point/8018428.stm">Your experiences Schools across Mexico have closed, public gatherings are restricted and archaeological sites have been placed off-limits.
Mexico City's chamber of trade estimated restrictions in the city were costing businesses there at least 777 million pesos ($57m or £39m) a day. Mexico City's chamber of commerce estimated restrictions in the city were costing businesses there at least 777 million pesos ($57m or £39m) a day.
People have been cancelling beautician appointments, wary of close physical contact, Reuters news agency reports.
"The customers are scared stupid - they don't want to go out," said hairdresser Esther Gonzalez.
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