Young girl sitting on wall at the SOS Children's Village Huehuetoca Mexico

Global stock markets are lower as more cases of swine flu are reported worldwide.

I read this report from a year ago when Swine Flue had really hit the news: "Mexico is already bracing itself for the economic fallout of swine flu. Since the outbreak became public, a number of countries are banning imports of Mexican meat and some countries are imposing travel restrictions to Mexico just as the summer tourist season gets into full swing.

Authorities in Mexico have requested that bars and movie theaters close during the outbreak. They are also urging people to stay home, which could lower demand and have a negative impact on GDP and financial assets.

Pharmaceutical companies may be the only winners in a pandemic, as demand for medicine to treat the virus would surge.

Bloomberg reports that swine flu is worrying global health organizations:

In the U.S., 20 people have confirmed cases of swine flu linked to the Mexican virus, and the acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said officials expect more severe infections to begin showing up. The World Health Organization called the outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern."

Reuters calculates that SARS cost East and Southeast Asia $18 billion, or 0.6 percent of GDP.

No reported cases of swine flu in SOS Children's Villages Mexico

28/04/2009 - As more and more cases of the A/H1N1 virus, better known as swine flu are being reported all over the world and mainly in Mexico, SOS Children's Villages Mexico has taken preventive measures, even though there have been no cases within the programmes of the organisation so far.

So far, there have been no reports of cases of swine influenza in the SOS programmes. Though there was a scare in the SOS Children's Village in Mexico City, it was soon confirmed that the child in question had not been infected with the dangerous virus; several cases of flu in the village of Huehuetoca in the week of 11 April were soon declared harmless and successfully treated.

As a preventive measure, SOS Children's Villages has suspended any kind of social events and assemblies until the situation improves. In Tehuacán, all activities in community homes and centres were cancelled and food rations for the week distributed beforehand among all parents to avoid waste. Until 7 May, which was set as a tentative date for the resumption of full activites, only the administrative staff of the centres will continue work.

In Comitán and Chiapas (both Social Centres and SOS Cildren's Villages), authorities from the IMSS (Social Security Mexican Institute, for its acronym in Spanish) on Monday vaccinated co-workers, families and children against influenza.

In the village of Tuxtla, medical consultations not related to A/H1N1 and of a non-urgent nature were canceled in the Pediatric Specialties Hospital which is attended by disabled children from the village.

Since supplies of surgical masks are running out in all of Mexico due to the high demand, SOS Children's Village directors have requested reserves of surgical masks from the corresponding health authorities; support is being sought from international organizations to send surgical masks to distribute in the villages, and if possible, to also donate to other organisations."