European and U.S. officials recommended citizens avoid nonessential travel to Mexico

due to the outbreak of H1N1 influenza, or swine flu, though the World Health Organization recommended countries "not to close borders and not to restrict international travel." Some airlines have issued their own advisories and will waive change fees for travelers who have purchased tickets for flights to Mexico. Daimler, General Electric, Nokia, Philips Electronics and Sony Corp. are among the companies restricting travel to Mexico or warning employees about the outbreak, Reutersreported. Meanwhile, 46 percent of 163 executives and business travelers polled this week by European travel technology provider KDS said their organizations "were looking at cancelling their Mexican trips, while 15 percent said they were considering avoiding the United States," which also has reported several swine flu cases. Sixty-nine percent had not yet communicated swine flu information to employees.