The government on Tuesday heightened scrutiny of incoming tourists, warned Japanese living in Mexico to leave, and told those planning to go there to think twice after the World Health Organization raised the alert level for a new type of influenza.
The WHO elevated its alert level on the deadly swine-avian-human virus to Phase 4, indicating a significant human-to-human pandemic risk.
In a hastily arranged news conference after the WHO's alert, health minister Yoichi Masuzoe acknowledged the latest swine-avian-human flu is a new virus and said the government will monitor the nation's ports of entry to prevent a domestic outbreak.