MEXICO CITY (AFP) - Mexico was approved for three billion dollars in international loans to fight the swine flu crisis, as the country began a five-day shutdown on Friday to try to halt the spread of the virus. As nations worldwide stepped up safety measures following a World Health Organization (WHO) warning that a global pandemic may be imminent, Mexican officials said the rapid spread of the H1N1 virus could be slowing.
They said 12 people were confirmed dead and 300 people were infected with the virus, a new flu strain that combines bird, swine and human influenza, but Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova was hopeful the worst might be over.
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