Mexico and the United States moved quickly on Friday to respond to a novel swine flu strain that had killed at least 16 people in Mexico and infected seven in the southern US.
Mexican health officials confirmed 16 deaths and said 50 additional fatalities were under investigation, with close to 1,000 suspected infections nationwide. The World Health Organization put the probable death toll at 60. Most Mexican cases appeared in previously healthy young adults with no history of prior illness.
Authorities in Mexico City closed schools and urged residents to avoid crowded venues and public transit. A broad vaccination campaign was launched for anyone who had not yet received a standard seasonal flu shot.
The seven US cases, five in California and two in Texas, led the CDC to open emergency operations. Officials noted that no vaccine exists specifically to protect humans from swine flu; the seasonal shot may offer only partial coverage against certain strains. The WHO activated its global epidemic center and warned that the A/H1N1 virus carried pandemic potential. President Barack Obama was being kept fully briefed, a White House spokesman said.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in April 2009, in its own words.