Mexico City - Mexico's central bank said Wednesday that it expects GDP to contract by 3.8 to 4.8 per cent in 2009, a considerably more pessimistic impact than its previous forecasts that could get worse in the light of the current flu outbreak.

The Bank of Mexico had estimated earlier this year that GDP would fall by 0.8 to 1.8 per cent.

Beyond the severe global financial and economic crisis, the bank said the flu epidemic is an "additional" risk factor that could affect "all levels of productive activity" in the second quarter of the year.

Mexico City  - The number of confirmed swine flu infections in Mexico rose from 26 to 49, although the number of deaths was still at seven from the new strain of flu, according to laboratory results that Mexico's health authorities made public Wednesday.

In total, there have been 159 deaths and 2,498 infections in Mexico's flu epidemic. Of these, 1,311 remained in hospital. But most have not yet been identified as swine flu.

Mexico City - The government of Mexico City banned eating in restaurants and ordered gyms, clubs, cabarets and billiards rooms to close, as measures to constrain the flu epidemic got tougher Tuesday. At least 152 people have died of flu in recent weeks in the North American country, but at the most only 20 deaths have been attributed to swine flu, raising further mystery about the other deaths.

But restaurants will still be allowed to sell meals to people who pick them up and eat them at home.

Mexico City, Apr. 28: The World Health Organization has raised the alert level in relation to the `Swine Flu’ epidemic to Phase 4, meaning there is sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus causing outbreaks in at least one country.

On Monday, the alert was raised above Phase 3.

Putting an alert at Phases 4 or 5 signals that the virus is becoming increasingly adept at spreading among humans.

Phase 6 is for a full-blown pandemic, characterized by outbreaks in at least two regions of the world.

Mexico City, Apr. 28: The World Health Organization has raised the alert level in relation to the `Swine Flu’ epidemic to Phase 4, meaning there is sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus causing outbreaks in at least one country.

On Monday, the alert was raised above Phase 3.

Putting an alert at Phases 4 or 5 signals that the virus is becoming increasingly adept at spreading among humans.

Phase 6 is for a full-blown pandemic, characterized by outbreaks in at least two regions of the world.

Mexico City - An earthquak