As the global outbreak of swine flu appears to be tapering off, there are now 33 countries reporting an estimated total of 6,080 confirmed cases, including 3,009 in 45 US states, 2,446 in Mexico and 358 in Canada.

In a press conference on Monday, Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova defended health officials, explaining that cases of influenza detected in early April in the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz didn’t alarm officials because they had no cause to suspect a new strain of swine flu.