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MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico lowered its estimated death toll from a new strain of flu to up to 101 on Friday from as many as 176 previously and voiced hope it may be getting control of an epidemic that has raised fears of a pandemic.

Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said laboratory tests on samples from some of the people who died from abnormal fevers in recent weeks came back negative for the new H1N1 virus. He said 16 deaths are confirmed as caused by the swine flu and tests are being run on samples from the other 85 victims.

Cordova cautioned, however, that it was too early to say that Mexico has beaten the new swine flu that has infected people in 15 countries and led to chunks of the economy being shut down to curb the rate of infection.

"For now it's unpredictable, we don't have that information," he said, noting that epidemics can often peak again after an initial spurt in infections drops off.

Mexico has released a confusing soup of flu victim data in recent days but public hospitals have noticed a steady drop in the number of patients turning up with severe flu symptoms, suggesting the infection rate is declining.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, also took a calmer tone than in past days, saying the flu outbreak may not be as severe as it looked at first and citing many mild cases that were not immediately noticed.

Its one of the biblical plagues. A sign of the end. OH NO! WE ARE ALL GONNA DIE!!!!!!!!!!

methinks the media wanted something to raise its ratings. the susan boyle hype was dying down.

This whole episode is going to backfire. Who is going to believe any of this next time? 2009 H1N1 is bust, but 2013 N2H5(fictional) may not be, but because of the overreaction to this will people be as willing to believe it?

Reeks of manipulation and distraction.