Swine Flu Spreads As Death Rate Slows

As swine flu continues to spread around the globe, the rate of deaths from the virus has slowed, according to Mexican authorities.

In total,159 people have died, all of them in Mexico, the country at the centre of the outbreak.

Of those, 26 were found to have been affected by the A/H1N1 virus and seven of those “corresponded beyond any doubt to deaths caused by the new virus”, said Mexico’s health minister Jose Angel Cordova.

The government had previously reported a figure of 20 confirmed deaths from the new flu strain.

Mr Cordova said the revised lower figure was due to more rigorous testing carried out in US and Canadian laboratories.

Despite the slowdown, the number of people displaying suspected symptons of the virus has reached nearly 2,500.

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Half of those suffering from the virus remain in hospital, said Mr Cordova.

He said rapid testing had been implemented in a bid to control the spread of the disease.

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama has called for extra funds to fight swine flu as California declared a State of Emergency, confirming 10 cases in the state.

More than 60 people across six states in the US have now been confirmed with swine flu – although no one has died.

The situation has prompted an emergency hearing on Capitol Hill to assess the nation’s readiness to deal with a more severe outbreak.

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