Mexican kids return to school after flu scare

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Millions of Mexican children, many them of them wearing surgical masks and clutching hand sanitizer, went back to classes on Monday after a two-week shutdown of schools due to the new flu virus.

The H1N1 flu strain has killed more than 50 people in Mexico, the epicenter of the swine flu outbreak that has spread to several dozen countries and sparked fears of a pandemic.

Schools throughout Mexico were scrubbed from floor to ceiling last week and the 20 million students who returned on Monday were told to follow strict hygiene rules.

"If everyone respects them, we're going to have a safe and healthy return (to school)," Education Minister Alonso Lujambio said.

Some high school and university students returned last week as Mexico got back to normal after shutting down large parts of the country to prevent infection. Cinemas, offices, soccer stadiums and even churches were ordered closed.

Children arrived at school gates on Monday wearing face masks.

"I know it's to protect us but the mask is very uncomfortable. It makes me itchy," said Pamela, a 10-year-old pupil at a school in the capital.

The death toll in Mexico from the H1N1 flu outbreak that has spread globally has risen to 56, the health ministry said as results of tests on people who died in recent weeks came in.

Mexico has had a total of 2,059 cases of the swine flu distributed throughout all but three of the country's 32 states, Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said.