Swine Flu cases nears 1,000

The U.S. reported 226 laboratory confirmed cases with one death while Mexico reported 590 cases with 25 deaths. Columbia and Salvador were the two new countries to join the list of reported cases on Sunday.

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (85), China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1), Costa Rica (1), Colombia (1), Denmark (1), El Salvador (2), France (2), Germany (8), Ireland (1), Israel (3), Italy (1), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (4), Republic of Korea (1), Spain (40), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (15).

France reported two more cases on Monday — both of them travelers who had returned from Mexico, the apparent epicenter of the outbreak — bringing its total to four.

Such is the concern about the spread of the disease in some countries that China, for instance, has quarantined some 70 Mexican travelers in hospitals and hotels. The Mexican authorities said they were chartering an airplane on Monday to bring its citizens home, according to The Associated Press.

China’s actions have been criticized by Mexico as discriminatory; Chinese authorities have however denied the charges.

The WHO said that there is no risk of infection from this virus from consumption of well-cooked pork and pork products.