Mexico flu scare empties streets, churches, bars

By Helen Popper and Mica Rosenberg

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - One of the world's biggest cities slowed to a snail's pace on Sunday as millions in the Mexican capital hid indoors to avoid infection from a flu virus that has killed up to 81 people.

The Roman Catholic faithful listened to mass on the radio rather than go to church, a professional soccer game was played in an empty stadium and weekend cyclists stayed off the road in the normally chaotic city of 20 million people.

"This is the first time I've left the house in two days. I had to get some air," said Juan Casiano, a 39-year-old office worker, as he walked through a park in the Polanco neighborhood. "But I'm going to stay the rest of the day inside."

Fears of a global swine flu epidemic grew with 20 cases in the United States and six in Canada, and possible infections also popped up in Europe and New Zealand.

All the deaths from the new flu so far have been in Mexico, mostly in and around the capital, one of Latin America's most important centers of business, government, culture and tourism.

Police fanned out across Mexico City's international airport handing out hundreds of surgical face masks and loudspeaker announcements urged anyone with flu-like symptoms to consider changing their travel plans.

"We've been a lot more worried since we got to the airport and you see all these people wearing the masks," said San Francisco resident Cheryl Guerrero, who was leaving Mexico after a holiday.

Doctors examined dozens of scared travelers but no one had yet been prevented from flying, airport officials said.