Swine flu continues to spread

The swine flu epidemic has spread deeper into the United States, Europe and Latin America, experts said today.

The virus spread to Colombia in the first confirmed case in South America. More cases have been confirmed in Europe and North America; world health officials said at least 1,000 people have been sickened worldwide.

Yesterday they raised the number of confirmed US swine flu cases to 245 in 35 states.

According to tallies by the CDC, the World Health Organisation and governments, there were 101 confirmed cases of swine flu in Canada; 40 in Spain; 18 in Britain; eight in Germany; four in New Zealand; two each in Italy, France, Israel and South Korea; one each in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ireland, Switzerland, Austria, Hong Kong, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Mexican Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova said the virus has now killed 22 people in Mexico.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon said today that “some countries or places are taking discriminatory measures” against Mexicans “because of ignorance and misinformation”.

He did not single out any country. But Mexico’s ambassador to China said the country has quarantined more than 70 Mexican travellers in hospitals – including some with no symptoms of swine flu.

Mr Calderon took a veiled jab at China in a state television interview broadcast yesterday. He said Mexico did not try to hide its outbreak like other countries have in the past. China was criticised for initially denying they had a problem during the 2003 outbreak of Sars.

France’s health chief says officials have confirmed two new cases of swine flu, bringing the total number in the country to four.

Minister of Health Roselyne Bachelot said today both new cases involved people who had returned to France after a stay in Mexico and both have been hospitalised.

Over the weekend, French health officials unveiled new measures aimed at preventing the spread of swine flu among babies.

Travellers returning to France from Mexico who work with young children will be asked to take a week off work. In addition, parents of children under one who return will have to isolate them from other young children for a week.

All flights arriving at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport from Mexico will now debark at a special terminal temporarily.