U.S. authorities said Tuesday that they may drop the term 'swine flu' since the virus incorporates genetic material from three species and because many people erroneously think they can get it from meat.

"This is not a food-borne crisis. It's important to not refer to swine flu. It's important to convey the message that consuming pork will not cause this illness," said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

The United States has revved up its response to the outbreak since it began in Mexico more than two weeks ago and has since spread to several American states including Texas, California and New York.

The illness also has been reported in Israel, New Zealand and Europe.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday asked Congress for 1.5 billion U.S. dollars in emergency funds to combat the illness that has sickened at least 65 people in America.

Obama said in a letter to Congress that the funds could be used to develop a vaccine, support the U.S. public health response to the outbreak and assist other governments and international organizations in stemming the flu's spread.

Major epidemic outbreaks usually mean dwindling business opportunities and reluctant trade. In 2008, a flu pandemic cost 3 trillion U.S. dollars and caused a nearly 5-percent drop in world gross domestic product, according to the World Bank.

Crude prices fell for a second day on Tuesday as investors worried that the outbreak could further depress oil prices and curb a recovery of the global economy. Stocks, meanwhile, recovered slightly because of a slower drop in home prices.

The Obama administration said it was too soon to determine the potential economic impact of the outbreak and that the Treasury Department was monitoring the situation.

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Editor:Yang Jie