Mexican president warns any nation can be hit by Swine flu

Mexican President Felipe Calderon said yesterday that all nations were equally at risk of a new flu outbreak and he called for a global response to the disease.

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During a 43 nation A/H1N1 world conference in Cancun, a resort town in Quintana Roo, Mexico, President Calderon thanked foreign officials for their attendance, which he described as "a gesture of friendship and solidarity" to our nation, which has seen 116 flu deaths since it was first detected on April 23.

No government can win this battle alone.-President Calderon

President Calderon admitted while Mexico was forced to take drastic measures which included, but was not limited to closing all schools, government offices, cinemas, restaurants, parks, and cancelling all public gatherings, it was necessary when facing such an unknown threat.

Calderon stated that Mexico's "full opening up of information allowed many to take preventative measures in time because of the opportunity we did not have."

"We sought at all time to protect Mexicans' health and lives above any financial, political or any other consideration," he said, adding that Mexico had taken measures he called "drastic" in late April and early May to break the chain of contagion.

The forum has united delegates and ministers from 43 nations. According to the latest WHO data, the disease has killed 332 people after infecting 77,201 people across 120 nations. The United States is currently the nation with the most infections and deaths: 27,717 infections and 127 deaths. Mexico has to date had 10,894 confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu including 116 deaths.

The next meeting in the series is on Tuesday at the WHO's headquarters in Geneva, to discuss progress in developing an A/ H1N1 vaccine.