http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/be4f95a8-328d-11de-8116-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1

Governments and health authorities worldwide went on the alert over the weekend for a possible influenza pandemic as the death toll from a new strain of swine flu in Mexico reached 81.

A pandemic would seriously harm the prospects of the world economy recovering from recession, with the travel and leisure sectors particularly vulnerable – as the 2003 Sars outbreak showed.

pandemic 〈伝染病が〉全国[世界]的に広がる

toll [通例単数形で] 犠牲，代価; 損害，死傷者数

strain 種族，血統

vulnerable 傷つきやすい，感じやすい

outbreak (突然の)発生，突発