Canada swine flu cases reach 13

OTTAWA, April 28 (UPI) -- The Canadian government issued a warning to citizens against non-essential travel to Mexico, where the death toll from a swine flu outbreak surpassed 150.

A total of 13 cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Canada, health officials said Tuesday. Cases have cropped up in four provinces -- British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta and Nova Scotia, Canwest News Service reported. The cases appeared to be mild, officials said.

Canadian travel operator Transat A.T. Inc. said Tuesday it was canceling flights from Canada to Mexico until June 1. Transat, which operates Air Transat, Transat Holidays and Nolitour, said it would arrange flights to bring all its customers home from Mexico, Canwest said.

The Public Health Agency of Canada has begun mandating in-flight announcements about precautions and has placed posters at airports and border crossings, the Toronto Star reported.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said the government set up a pre-departure screening process in Mexico City to help ensure that some 15,000 migrant farm workers headed to Canada this week would not bring the H1N1 strain of flu. The workers must fill out a questionnaire, undergo a physical exam and have their temperatures taken by two doctors before their permits are issued, Kenney said.

About 4,000 farm workers from Mexico arrived in southwestern Ontario in January and February, but none have shown signs of the illness, which was first reported in Mexico on April 17.