Mexico Reports 159 Swine Flu Deaths

The number of deaths from swine flu has risen to 159, all of them in Mexico, while the number of suspected cases has reached nearly 2,500, authorities have said.

Boy with protective mask on border between US and Mexico

Half of those suffering from the virus remain in hospital, said Mexico's health minister Jose Angel Cordova.

He said rapid testing had been implemented as the country at the centre of the outbreak, which has now become a global problem, attempts to control the spread of the disease.

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama called for extra funds to fight swine flu as the state of California declared a State of Emergency over the outbreak.

More than 60 people across six states in the US have now been confirmed with the virus - although no one has died.

The situation has prompted an emergency hearing on Capitol Hill to assess the nation's readiness to deal with a more severe outbreak.

"With a new infectious agent you don't sit back and wait and hope for the best," Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said.

"You take bold steps, and then you pull back if you need to."

California has 10 cases, the second largest number in the US.

Arnie has declared state of emergency

And the west coast state's governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has responded by declaring a state of emergency.

He said the move would allow California to limit the spread of it in the region but stressed there was "no need for alarm."

The move comes as the Los Angeles County coroner's office investigates the recent deaths of two men, 33 and 45 years old, for links to swine flu.

Meanwhile, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said two people were in hospital and were thought to have the virus.

They were a two-year-old from the Bronx and a woman in Brooklyn - but neither were in any danger, the mayor said.

He played down the overall threat, saying "so far this disease looks like the disease we have every year".

There were 44 confirmed cases in the city, nearly all of them at a school in the neighbourhood of Queens.

The city's health commissioner, Thomas Frieden, said "many hundreds" of schoolchildren were ill with suspected swine flu.

However, those numbers were not even being counted because the symptoms were "mild and everybody appears to be recovering," he said.

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The escalating international situation has now seen Cuba halt travel to Mexico, the centre of the outbreak.

Swine flu has spread to Asia and the Middle East as world health officials admitted the virus could not be contained.

The World Health Organisation has already increased the global alert level - indicating "a significant step towards a pandemic".

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Swine flu has now turned up in at least seven countries and appears to be jumping borders via plane flights.

New Zealand, Canada, Australia, Israel, Brazil, Colombia and France are all in the process of containing confirmed or suspected cases.