WHO's Chan commends Mexico for swine flu handling

GENEVA, April 29 (Reuters) - World Health Organization director Dr. Margaret Chan commended Mexico on Wednesday for its handling of the outbreak of H1N1 swine flu that has killed as many as 159 people there and a toddler from Mexico visiting Texas.

Chan said Mexico had demonstrated "openness and transparency" in telling her agency and other governments about the outbreak of the new flu, which has now brought the world to the brink of a pandemic. Chan raised the pandemic awareness leve to 5, one step down from a full pandemic, on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Laura MacInnis and Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva)