From correspondents in New York, United States, 11:00 PM IST

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said here Monday the outbreak of swine flu 'has become one of the most serious concerns of the international community', and called for 'global solidarity' to fight the epidemic.

Ban, in a statement he read out to the press, said: 'We are concerned that this (swine flu) virus would cause a new influenza pandemic.'

'If we are indeed facing a pandemic, we need to demonstrate global solidarity,' Ban said.

'We are concerned that this virus could cause a new influenza pandemic. It could be mild, in its effect, or potentially be severe,' he said.

'We do not yet know which way it will go. But we are concerned that, in Mexico, most of those who died were young and healthy adults'.

Meanwhile, the number of people died of an influenza-type illness in Mexico has risen to 149, according to Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos.

However, the World Health Organisation has said of the 149 deaths in Mexico, only 26 cases have been confirmed as a result of swine flu.

More than 1,000 people have been hospitalized in Mexico.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)