MEXICO CITY: Mexicans were returning to normal life yesterday after a five-day business shutdown due to the H1N1 flu virus, but the virus spread slowly in Europe.

Mexico raised its confirmed death toll from the flu outbreak to 42 from 29, but the government says the worst is over and has eased curbs on commercial and public activity.

World health officials, whose warnings have helped brake the disease's global spread, kept a close eye on Europe for signs of a sustained rise between people there, which would mean the flu was officially a pandemic.