MEXICO CITY, May 1 (Reuters) - Mexico said on Friday that health experts now estimate the number of deaths in the country caused by a new strain of H1N1 flu at as many as 101, down from an earlier figure of up to 176.

Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said laboratory tests on samples from some of the people who died from abnormally virulent fevers in recent weeks have come back negative for the new flu virus. He said 16 deaths have been confirmed as caused by the new swine flu and tests are still being run on samples from the other 85 victims. (Reporting by Catherine Bremer; Editing by Bill Trott)

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