Emerging market debt spreads widest since July 2004

NEW YORK, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The yield spread between emerging market bonds and comparable U.S. Treasuries widened by 45 basis points to 482 on Monday due to intensified concerns over the global economy, according to the JP Morgan Emerging Markets Bond Index Plus 11EMJ.JPMEMBIPLUS.

Total returns for the index fell 1.92 percent on the day after investors dumped higher-risk assets to shore up core asset positions as the global credit crisis fuels concerns of a global recession.

A rise in the strip spread indicates increased investor risk aversion.

MSCI's Latin American stock index .MILA00000PUS fell 17.87 percent, or 501.58 points to 2305.84. (Reporting by Daniel Bases; Editing by James Dalgleish)