altMay 6 - The young grandson of Mario Vazquez Rana (pictured), a senior member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has died from the new swine flu that has spread panic across the world.

 

The 23-month-old Mexican toddler died in a hospital in Houston after contracting the H1N1 infection.

 

There have been nearly 500 confirmed cases of the flu in Mexico, where the outbreak is believed to have started.

 

Rana, 76, is the president of the Mexican Olympic Committee and one of the country's wealthiest men, a fortune earned thanks to television and media interests.

 

He is also the president of the of the Association of National Olympic Committees and a member of the IOC's ruling Executive Committee.