GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday updated its tally of human cases of swine flu to 1,658.
The global body said 23 countries had reported laboratory confirmed cases since the outbreak began two weeks ago. It said increases in human cases occurred in Canada, France, Guatemala, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden and Britain.
Mexico yesterday significantly upped its swine flu death toll to 42, but insisted the worst of the epidemic was over and allowed businesses to reopen after a five-day shutdown.
The death toll rose from 29 to 42 after several more H1N1 deaths were recorded in recent days, and the number of confirmed infections rose from 913 to 1,070, Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova told a news conference.
Although the toll from the virus continued to rise, authorities emphasized that the epidemic had peaked last week and was now under control.
“The highest peaks were on April 25 and 26, when there were seven deaths,” Cordova said.
The deceased comprised 24 women and 18 men. More than half the fatalities had been between 20 and 39 years old, Cordova added.
Mexico, particularly its capital, was at the epicenter of the flu crisis that was now affecting more than 20 countries.
The only two deaths recorded outside Mexico were in the United States: a visiting Mexican boy and a US woman with chronic health problems. Mexico yesterday was slowly returning to life after a weeklong shutdown, with the opening of many offices and restaurants.
Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard defended the measures yesterday. “There’s no doubt that the great effort helped to prevent the contagion from growing exponentially in the city,” Ebrard told a news conference.
The Mexican government has challenged the assumption that the virus originated in the country and pointed at a smaller outbreak that occurred in the United States around the same time.
Meanwhile, WHO said yesterday it was asking countries that took “significantly different” measures to combat swine flu, such as restricting international travel, to justify their actions.
