Much of the fury was directed at China, which has placed 70 Mexicans under quarantine even though most had showed no signs of swine flu and some had not arrived from countries unaffected by the A(H1N1) virus, according to officials.

"We strongly denounce these acts of discrimination," Foreign Minister Patrica Espinosa said Monday, adding that China's move "did not conform" with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations.

She pointed to a Mexican family of five that was taken from a hotel to a hospital in Beijing despite having no flu symptoms.

China has denied the accusation of discrimination against Mexicans. On Sunday, it also placed some 20 Canadians in quarantine, prompting an outcry from Ottawa.

China and Mexico on Monday each sent government charter flights to the other country to pick up their nationals stranded there.

China, along with Argentina, Cuba, Ecuador and Peru, has suspended flights from Mexico. Argentina and Ecuador also both dispatched planes to pick up their nationals from Mexico.

Other countries, while recommending their nationals avoid trips to Mexico if possible, have not followed suit, though some airlines have.

Two Canadian charter companies, Air Transat and Sunwing Airlines, have halted their services to Mexico.

The Canadian embassy on Monday issued a statement saying "regular flights between Canada and Mexico continue their normal operations" although "some (Canadian) charter tourist airlines have temporarily suspended their flights to Mexican beaches."

But flagship carrier Air Canada also said it had suspended "all operations to Cancun, Cozumel and Puerto Vallarta" — three Mexican resorts — until June 1.

The suspension affected its own flights, as well as those of its charter subsidiary Air Canada Vacations.

"Air Canada currently plans to maintain flights to Mexico City," the airline added on its website.

Some of the airlines still servicing the link with Mexico, including Air France, were allowing crews to wear masks.

Cruise ships avoid Mexico

US airlines have cut capacity on their hundreds of flights to Mexico because of the sharp fall in reservations. Continental, which handles a quarter of the passenger traffic between Mexico and the rest of North America, reduced its number of available seats by 50 percent.

International cruise ship companies are diverting their liners away from Mexican ports.

And British, French and German tour operators have canceled packages to the country.

The head of Air France in Mexico, Jacques de Chambrun, said flights departing from Mexico were almost full, but those coming in were "nearly empty."

At the same time, he told AFP, there was no sign of panic among foreigners living in Mexico. "There is absolutely no exodus of expatriates," he said.

Other Latin American countries were treating incoming flights from Mexico with caution.

Brazil, for instance, had instructed airport officials to put passengers with one or more symptoms of the flu under medical observation or in isolation, depending on whether they came from an affected country or not.

AFP