Mexico cuts flu death numbers
Mexican government cuts swine flu death toll after new tests
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Saturday, 02, May 2009 08:48
The Mexican government has reduced the number of estimated deaths from swine flu from 176 to 101 and voiced hopes the infection is being brought under control.
Laboratory tests on some of the people who died of fever in recent weeks have come back negative for the disease, H1N1, health minister Jose Angel Cordova said.
Mr Cordova said 16 deaths are confirmed as caused by the swine flu and tests are being run on samples from the other 85 victims.
Although the results may mean the outbreak is not as serious as first thought, it is still too early to say Mexico has it under control, the minister warned.
"For now it's unpredictable, we don't have that information," he said.
Hospitals in Mexico have reported a drop in patients arriving with flu symptoms, suggesting the spread of swine flu is slowing.
Many businesses are taking a five day break as the government attempts to bring the virus under control.
The flu has now spread to 15 countries around the world, with the latest outbreak reported in South Korea.