A deadly outbreak of swine flu that has killed a reported 103 people in Mexico and shows signs of spreading elsewhere has helped to revive the fortunes of small businesses within the struggling facemask industry, says an economic report.

In recent years the facemask industry has seen profits plummet following the failure of any contageous virus to escalate into a worldwide pandemic.

"Today's report is the culmination of years of patience", said Xieu Hwang, Chairwoman of Funky Facemasks Ltd. "After scientists developed a vaccine for bird flu, people were writing us off, but thanks to this latest outbreak of influenza we are now expecting record profits in the next financial year. And right now, there aren't many businesses that can say that".

In the past week alone, the sale of facemasks to government buildings and health centres has risen almost 2000% worldwide - an 820% increase on 2003 when much of the world was effected by a deadly outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Additionally the swine flu outbreak is expected to enhance the profits of companies specialising in quarantine room construction, as well as those in the funeral service sector.