Mexico's government recommended today that its citizens stay away from China after Chinese authorities imposed a quarantine on a Hong Kong hotel where a Mexican guest fell ill with the new flu virus, Reuters reported. Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa criticized China for taking "unjustified" action against Mexicans in reaction to the H1N1 swine flu epidemic in Mexico. "We are especially worried about China, where Mexican citizens showing no signs at all of being ill, have been isolated, under unacceptable conditions," Espinosa told a news conference. "The Foreign Ministry recommends avoiding traveling to China until these measures are corrected," she added. Espinosa also criticized four Latin American countries -- Argentina, Peru and Ecuador and Cuba -- for suspending flights from Mexico over the flu alert. The World Health Organization has identified Mexico as the epicenter of the epidemic of the new flu strain it fears could threaten a global pandemic. Mexican authorities say they hope the outbreak could be stabilizing and have cut back their suspected death toll to up to 101 from 176. The quarantining of the Hong Kong hotel occurred on Friday and the virus has spread to at least 17 countries around the world.
