Mexico is investigating 10 more possible swine flu deaths, the health minister told AFP, accusing the United States of being equally unprepared for the outbreak of the new flu strain.
Mexico is at the epicentre of the global A(H1N1) flu epidemic, with most deaths recorded there, but the US yesterday overtook its southern neighbour to become the country with the most number of patients, recording 1,639 cases in 43 states.
Mexico's confirmed cases rose to 1,319 yesterday, with 45 people confirmed to have died from the virus. Two people have also died from influenza A (H1N1) in the US, as well as one in Canada.
Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova told AFP that authorities were investigating 10 possible swine flu deaths in Mexico, but said that no new death from the virus had been confirmed since the start of the week.
Cordova said it was premature to announce that the epidemic was under control in Mexico. He also defended the country's handling of the outbreak, pointing to the growing number of cases in the US.
"The Americans weren't prepared either," Cordova said. "How many cases do the Americans have now? So why do they tell us that we weren't prepared? No one was prepared because it's a new virus."
The WHO said that 2,500 people in 26 countries had tested positive for the A (H1N1) virus.
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