| | |  Health & Beauty | April 2009 
Expats in Mexico Cut Risk
 Sherri Zickefoose - Calgary Herald
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Calgary - Canadians living in Mexico are taking precautions to avoid potentially deadly swine flu, but for some, it's more of a "hands off" approach.
"It's Mexican custom you hug people. Now you think if you do, you might get it. It's difficult to break that habit, or to not shake hands," said Herman Heynen, a former Okotoks resident living as a local in Mazatlan.
Life goes on in Mexico's largest commercial port. Heynen says he checks the local news as often as he can for updates to see if the tourism mecca, beaches teeming with resort hotels, has identified any local victims of the potentially deadly flu.
Since the beginning of April, hundreds of cases of the mysterious illness-- which produces severe respiratory symptoms and is mostly affecting people between the ages of 25 and 44 --have surfaced in clusters in Mexico City, Oaxaca and San Luis Potosi.
The World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert level Monday amid a world-wide battle against the swine-flu outbreak,
Until there is more information, Heynen says "I'll just be more careful in public places. I'm not a movie goer, there's less people in the grocery store if you go early in the morning."
Former Calgarians Bill and Sally Babione, now living in Mazatlan, said they learned an important lesson after the deadly SARS outbreak in the spring of 2003.
"We wash our hands every time we come in the door, and that's something we've done for the last five years, that's nothing new. It's a natural precaution," he said.
"I think we've seen four people actually wearing face masks. It seems all the masks have gone to Mexico City," he added.
"The Mexican government has some pretty drastic measures in place to stop the spread. They've shut down the schools, and I applaud it."
Cruise ships, which usually dock in the thriving commercial seaport of Mazatlan, appear to be bypassing Mexico, he said.
"On Tuesday, there's usually one or two in. There were none today, we're told there's not going to be any for a couple of weeks."
sziCkefoose(at)tHeHerald.Canwest.Com
Should you be afraid to travel to Puerto Vallarta? Health Care Resources Puerto Vallarta's Pamela Thompson has the latest news and health reports from around Banderas Bay. (Click HERE for local swine flu updates) |
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