WALL STREET JOURNAL

Mexico’s top epidemiologist said it is “highly improbable” that the Mexican farm is responsible for the “swine flu” outbreak.

APRIL 29, 2009, 9:41 P.M. ET

Mexico Tries to Pinpoint Origin of Outbreak

By DAVID LUHNOW

MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s top government epidemiologist said it is «highly improbable» that a farm in the state of Veracruz operated by Smithfield Foods Inc. and a Mexican company is responsible for the nation’s swine flu outbreak.

Miguel Angel Lezana, the government’s chief epidemiologist, said pigs at the farm are from North America, while the genetic material in the virus is from Europe and Asia. Government health workers plan to retest the pigs for any sign of swine flu, he said.

Some residents of a town nearby have blamed the farm for spreading the flu. Smithfield officials have denied that any pigs or workers at the farm are sick.

Officials still don’t have a definite idea of where the outbreak began. A new lead emerged on Wednesday when Dr. Lezana said that among the first victims was a Bangladeshi man who worked as a street vendor in Mexico City and got sick in early April. The man, whose identity wasn’t disclosed, met his brother in Merida, Yucatan in early April and returned to Mexico City. His brother, either from Bangladesh or Pakistan, may have been ill, he said.

Mexican health officials said they have the epidemic under control and are noticing positive trends in the figures. «The Mexican government has this situation under control. We have both the technical and human capabilities to deal with this,» said Mr. Lezana.

Mr. Lezana said the number of cases in Mexico City, the hardest hit by the outbreak, is starting to decline. Overall, the government has confirmed 49 cases of swine flu and seven deaths. But it suspects as many as 159 people have died from the virus, with some 1,300 still in hospital with symptoms. Officials are testing samples to get confirmation in the coming days.

Mr. Lezana said all of the patients who died got sick before April 23, when the government found out this was swine flu and declared an emergency. None of the patients who have gotten sick since then have died, suggesting that doctors can treat the illness more quickly with antiviral medicines.

Write to David Luhnow at david.luhnow@wsj.com

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