QUOTEBOX-U.S. corporate reaction to flu serious but subdued

April 27 (Reuters) - U.S. companies appear to be taking a low-key, wait-and-see approach to the flu virus that has killed more than 100 people in Mexico and spread to the United States, Canada and Europe, urging employees to be vigilant about their hygiene and take other common-sense precautions.

ROBERT KELLY, CEO, BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON CORP (BK.N)

"We are updating our top executives every three to four hours and while we haven't issued any recommendations, I'm betting no one is flying there (Mexico) right now."

ROY WILEY, SPOKESMAN, NAVISTAR INTERNATIONAL CORP (NAV.N)

"We're telling people that travel to and from Mexico should be on a business-necessary basis only and must be approved by a supervisor. We're advising people to be aware of sudden changes in temperature, to eat fruits and vegetables, to wash frequently, to preserve a distance of at least one meter when talking to people, to cover their mouths when sneezing -- the normal precautions ... But no shutdowns at the plant in Escobedo (Mexico)"

MIKE MONAHAN, SPOKESMAN, ECOLAB INC (ECL.N)

"We've had a number of inquiries from customers regarding what they should do, what protocols they should follow, and we're responding by equipping our sales and service people with the information and products to address customers' needs. A number of our customers already have the products in place and (need) to review procedures. For others, they may want additional products, like hand sanitizers. For most customers, it's 'Tell me what I need, and we'll see where it goes.'"

NORMAN BLACK, SPOKESMAN, UNITED PARCEL SERVICE INC (UPS.N)

"We are continuing operations in areas where cases have been confirmed, but we are following the WHO (World Health Organization) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and will adhere to any recommendations from them. We have also sent out a new reminder to employees emphasizing the importance of hygiene."

GARY FRANTZ, SPOKESMAN, CONWAY INC (CNW.N)

"We are following updates from the CDC and the WHO and emphasizing to our employees the importance of proper hygiene, including the use of sanitary handwash."

SUZANNE KEEN, SPOKESMAN, BRINKER INTERNATIONAL (EAT.N)

"We are closely monitoring the situation in Mexico, as it is changing rapidly. All our restaurants in Mexico are franchise-owned, so we do not receive daily updates on sales figures. Several of our franchise partners have proactively responded to the Mexican government's recommendation for citizens to avoid public places by voluntarily closing their restaurants or limiting hours of operations. Both of these actions, of course, impact sales. We will continue to follow government guidelines to ensure the health and safety of our guests and team members. At all Brinker restaurants worldwide, we are reiterating proper hygiene procedures, including frequent hand washing and sanitizing of surfaces."

RICK DELOTTO, RESEARCH ANALYST, GARTNER

"The recent outbreaks of swine flu are highlighting the need for organizations to have pandemic plans that address workforce absenteeism rates of 40 per cent or higher, and stress the central role of IT to remain in operation during pandemics. There are currently 20 laboratory-confirmed human cases in California, Texas, Ohio, Kansas and New York, and one in Europe, Spain. With luck, this will be a very minor event as according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 'laboratory testing has found the swine influenza A (H1N1) virus susceptible to the prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir.'" (Reporting by Nick Carey, Jim Finkle, Svea Herbst, James Kelleher, Jim Marshall, Jessica Wohl and Nick Zieminski, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)