By Eric Burroughs
HONG KONG, April 27 (Reuters) - Asian stocks slipped on Monday as the outbreak of swine flu in North America hurt shares of airlines and transport companies while prompting some market players to trim risky positions, hitting currencies like the Australian dollar.
Japan's Nikkei average .N225 bucked the trend and rose 0.8 percent as drugmakers such as Chugai Pharmaceutical on an expected pick-up in flu drug sales, while banks jumped on news that Shinsei Bank (8303.T) was in merger talks with Aozora Bank (8304.T).
Analysts said the initial market reaction was limited but were wary about the potential economic fallout from the flu outbreak, especially at a time when the global economy is starting to show signs of recovering from a deep recession.
Mexico's health minister said the swine flu death toll in the country reached 103 as fears of a global pandemic grew with new infections in the United States and Canada. [nFLU]
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